Category: My Cthulhu Girlfriend (gl)

Chapter 83: Parents

The entire space was deathly silent. The world seemed to be spinning and shifting. A strong, pungent smell of blood assaulted An Yue’s nostrils, invading her senses with brutal force, making her head spin.

She almost didn’t dare look at the horrifying body of the evil god, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away either. It was a warrior’s instinct. She even saw several of the tentacles begin to move slowly and steadily.

It was like a feline locking its gaze on its prey before the hunt, the slow turn of its head.

Cold sweat dripped down An Yue’s temples.

Before she could react and think of something to say to diffuse the situation, a thick tentacle suddenly lashed out, wrapping around her waist and hoisting her into the air!

An Yue, experienced by now, immediately relaxed her body, adjusting her posture to the movements of the tentacle’s muscles. The tentacle carried her into the house, the door slamming shut with a “bang.” An Yue, like a ragged cloth, was swung back and forth carelessly in mid-air.

Akhe’s face was extremely gloomy, as if she hadn’t yet decided what to do with this human.

At this moment, Xiang Er strolled leisurely into the living room, her gaze sweeping over Akhe. Her voice was extremely soft:

“If you hurt her, I’ll hate you even more.”

The words were as light as whispers in a dream, devoid of any emotion, like stating a simple fact, such as saying it will rain if the wind blows today.

She didn’t even look directly at Akhe.

But Akhe’s entire body trembled slightly. Immediately, she manipulated the tentacle, setting An Yue down. She almost meticulously ensured An Yue was steady on her feet before releasing her.

An Yue looked at Xiang Er with a newfound respect. A single sentence could hold such power… Xiang Er absolutely had to side with humanity!

A thin tentacle reached out and patted An Yue’s face, turning her to look at Akhe.

Akhe stared at her, speaking in her mind:

“If you look at her again, I’ll gouge your eyes out.”

An Yue couldn’t help but think, Probably not. Xiang Er wouldn’t allow it.

Akhe:

“…Shut up!”

An Yue: But I didn’t even say anything! I just thought it!

Akhe was clearly angered again. Her brows furrowed tightly, her gaze like sharp arrows, piercing An Yue’s face, making her cheeks ache.

An Yue quickly stated her purpose, opening her mouth to speak:

“I came today because I heard your summons…”

As soon as she spoke, Akhe immediately covered her mouth with a tentacle, roaring in her mind:

“We agreed on secrecy!”

An Yue immediately switched to communicating mentally, adjusting her phrasing:

“I understand. I wanted to say, regarding the matter you entrusted me with before, I’ve found some information.”

Akhe:

“Good, tell me everything.”

An Yue recalled the data pages she had carefully reviewed before coming, every row and column crystal clear in her mind. She showed everything to Akhe in her mind.

Xiang Er had just languidly settled onto the living room sofa. The small eyeball immediately hopped to her feet and lay down, the slender tentacles swaying like tails.

Xiang Er looked idly in their direction. An Yue and Akhe were standing face to face, separated by a distance of more than a meter, but their gazes were completely intertwined, occasionally exchanging glances, clearly communicating something mentally behind her back.

Xiang Er yawned. She knew, of course, that the country sending An Yue here must have had some ulterior motive, but she would never compromise with Akhe for the sake of national security.

She didn’t want to be some selfless, heroic martyr.

From beginning to end, all she wanted was the ordinary, mundane life she deserved. She hadn’t even known she was a lesbian until she met Shen Yihe.

Thinking about it this way, Shen Yihe was truly hateful. Xiang Er’s lips curled into a self-deprecating smile. Uncontrollably, ripples spread through her mind again. She thought of Shen Yihe’s smile, Shen Yihe’s hair, Shen Yihe’s injured arm, Shen Yihe buttoning her shirt under the lamplight… So hateful.

She didn’t know what the two over there had discussed, but after a while, An Yue placed the flowers in a vase, greeted Xiang Er, and hesitated, unsure of what to say:

“Ah, this… Then I’ll be going. You… rest well.”

Xiang Er gave her a bland look:

“Officer An, won’t you stay for dinner? Try the evil god’s cooking.”

An Yue:

“Ah, no, no… I wouldn’t dare impose…”

As she waved her hands repeatedly and reached the door, Xiang Er scoffed:

“What imposition…”

An Yue:

“…”

She looked at Xiang Er sympathetically. In fact, she fully understood Xiang Er’s pain and resistance. If it were her, she would also resist, and not going insane would be a blessing.

But… there was simply nothing that could be done.

All of humanity was powerless.

In the face of absolute power, everyone was… utterly helpless.

An Yue left, and Xiang Er continued to sit in a daze.

Soon, a table was set with freshly made pan-fried dumplings and millet porridge. Akhe invited Xiang Er to sit at the table and eat. Xiang Er absentmindedly ate one dumpling.

This was the first time Xiang Er had truly eaten something she made. Akhe was full of anticipation:

“How is it?”

Xiang Er glanced at her, chewed slowly, swallowed, and then said:

“The dumpling skin isn’t cooked through.”

She was rarely so gentle!

Akhe was already extremely satisfied, so happy she could barely hold her chopsticks. She immediately promised:

“Next time, next time I’ll definitely make them more delicious!”

Xiang Er didn’t reply, her gaze empty as she drank the millet porridge.

Akhe softly asked:

“Don’t you want to know what An Yue just told me?”

Xiang Er didn’t respond.

Akhe cautiously continued:

“It’s… news about your parents.”

Xiang Er’s spoon didn’t even pause, as if she hadn’t heard.

But a sentence appeared in her mind:

“Here it comes.“

Indeed, she had known all along that Akhe would help her find her birth parents, and perhaps even have them try to persuade her to compromise.

But could the heart-wrenching pain of betrayal be erased by compromise?

Besides, Xiang Er knew her own background. She had been abandoned at the orphanage gates, still wrapped in swaddling clothes.

She didn’t think such irresponsible parents were of any use.

Seeing her indifferent reaction, Akhe lowered her eyelashes, her thick lashes casting a shadow on her face. She softly said:

“If you don’t want to see them, then forget it. But do you want to know their current situation?”

This time, Xiang Er’s spoon paused slightly, clinking against the edge of the bowl, making a faint “clink” sound.

Akhe looked up at her, her thin lips pursed slightly, her brows furrowed in a troubled expression.

Akhe could hear Xiang Er’s inner struggle. She stretched out a hand and gently patted Xiang Er’s other hand resting on the table.

Xiang Er quickly withdrew her hand.

Akhe’s hand remained on the table, slender and well-defined, with round, pink nails, glowing white as jade.

Akhe looked at Xiang Er tenderly:

“I understand how you feel. After dinner, I’ll show you. If you want to contact them, you can. If not, then forget it.”

Xiang Er didn’t say anything, continuing to drink her porridge, the spoon raised high enough to almost cover her entire face, obscuring her expression.

Akhe, however, smiled faintly, lowering her head to continue eating her slightly undercooked dumplings.

Akhe didn’t understand the concept of parents. Her parents were the universe itself. But for humans, parents… were indeed very special, weren’t they?

After dinner, Akhe cleared the table with her tentacles and came to the sofa, draping a meticulously woven blanket over Xiang Er and placing a cup of hot chocolate in her hands.

Xiang Er sat on the sofa with her legs tucked under her, her head resting on her knees, lost in thought.

Akhe sat beside her and turned on the television.

The figure of a woman appeared on the screen. She sat on a sofa in a spacious hall that resembled a villa, her simple and plain dress clashing with the opulent style of the room. She was thin, pale, and coughed occasionally, her face etched with worry.

Her features bore a striking resemblance to Xiang Er’s.

Almost as soon as she saw the woman’s face, Xiang Er straightened up, her eyes glued to the television.

Soon, someone pushed the door open. It was a pot-bellied man, somewhat balding, with lecherous features and reeking of alcohol. The woman on the sofa, seeing him, immediately rushed over to fuss over him, gently asking him how his business entertainment went and if he wanted some sobering soup… but the man waved her away, sending her tumbling to the floor.

The woman lay pathetically on the ground, coughing violently. Fueled by alcohol, the man shouted crude insults, even kicking her.

The man’s Mandarin wasn’t standard, and Xiang Er couldn’t hear clearly, but she could make out words like “sickly,” “bad luck,” “giving me a retarded son,” and “useless.”

Then the man picked up his briefcase from the table and, before leaving, said flippantly:

“You’re nothing compared to Xiao Li…”

After the man left, the woman lay on the ground for a long time before getting up. She clutched her chest and coughed up blood, her face even paler. At this moment, a timid male voice came from behind her, asking if she was alright.

It was her son, indeed with a crooked nose and mouth, and intellectually disabled. His limbs were uncoordinated, and even though he was a tall eighteen-year-old, he still had the demeanor of a child.

The woman stumbled over and, embracing the boy, burst into tears.

The boy also bore a slight resemblance to Xiang Er. This should be her younger brother.

Akhe then turned to look at Xiang Er.

She expected Xiang Er to be sad and in pain, but unexpectedly, Xiang Er simply watched calmly.

Xiang Er’s voice suddenly sounded:

“Are these my parents?”

Akhe nodded in confirmation.

Xiang Er looked directly at her for the first time:

“Tell me about them.”

Akhe recounted the story of this couple.

When the woman was 16 and working, she met the 18-year-old delinquent man. They fell in love and quickly became pregnant out of wedlock. Both families disapproved, and the man abandoned her. The woman gave birth to Xiang Er at her parents’ home and tacitly allowed them to take Xiang Er to the orphanage, pretending she had never given birth to this daughter. This left her with a weakened constitution.

Later, the woman went out to work, and at 26, she encountered the man again. By then, the man had already been divorced once. The woman, however, resolutely married the divorced man. After that, the man’s luck turned, and his career took off. The woman risked her life to give birth to a son, but he was born with an intellectual disability. Their relationship deteriorated because of their son, and the man kept many mistresses. The woman’s health collapsed, and she could only rely on the man, who returned once a month, weeping and grieving every day.

The rest was as Xiang Er had seen.

As Akhe spoke, she observed Xiang Er’s reaction, her tentacles protectively hovering nearby, fearing that Xiang Er would break down and cry.

But Xiang Er stared at the television throughout, listening intently, her eyes dry, her nose not even red.

She now knew where she came from, and that was enough.

There was no need to yearn for more.

She said:

“Hmm.”

A simple word, without joy or sorrow, without judgment or resentment.

It was simply what it was.

Akhe reached out and gently wrapped her arm around Xiang Er’s shoulders from behind the sofa:

“If you’re sad, you can cry. Don’t bottle it up.”

Xiang Er didn’t react to her small gesture, continuing to stare at her own reflection on the television screen even after it went black.

She never cried.

But for the first time, she didn’t pull away.

She allowed Akhe’s hand to gently pat her back, like a warm mother soothing her infant.

Chapter 82: Daily Life

For a moment, Xiang Er was frozen.

Their bodies pressed together, their breaths mingling, the warm, intoxicating scent of wine and the subtle intimacy of months of shared moments, a familiar dance.

Xiang Er swayed, almost losing her balance, falling into Akhe’s arms.

Akhe’s eyes were bright, like two small suns, her desire and anticipation unconcealed.

It wasn’t just desire, it was also anger, anger at Xiang Er’s mercy towards the small eyeball, a mercy she hadn’t shown to It.

Its emotions were a tangled mess, It had even briefly hoped that Xiang Er would cut off the small eyeball’s tentacle, and yet, a part of It had also thought, perhaps Xiang Er’s mercy… was because of It?

Perhaps… she still felt the same way about It?

Akhe held Xiang Er close, expecting her to push It away angrily, even prepared for their relationship to further deteriorate.

But… Xiang Er, for a moment, was stunned!

And in that moment, Akhe’s heart soared, a burst of hope, like a wildflower blooming in a barren wasteland.

The next second, Xiang Er pushed her away, stepping back.

Xiang Er stared at that beautiful face, the face that had once captivated her, and felt a pang of sorrow, the depth of her past love now a measure of her present pain.

She was hurting too! Why wouldn’t this creature just leave her alone!

“Get out!!!”

She shouted, her voice filled with rage, then raised her hand, her arm trembling, her teeth clenched.

She wanted to slap Akhe, but… she didn’t have the strength.

The pervasive sweet fragrance in the room had weakened her, her arm still sore and numb from pulling at the small eyeball earlier.

But… Akhe’s eyes were bright, tears glistening on her cheeks, yet she smiled, a complex, almost grateful smile, and she leaned closer to Xiang Er, her voice soft:

“Be careful, you’ll hurt your hand.”

Xiang Er’s hand trembled even more violently, her teeth biting into her lip, the metallic taste of blood, the memory of that kiss in the clouds, flooding back.

The sweet fragrance, the vivid memories, swirling in her mind, she hadn’t forgotten, she had simply refused to remember, but the intoxicating scent, like a key, unlocked the floodgates…

She remembered. That first dream, in front of the mirror… Akhe had revealed Its true form to her…

She screamed:

“Ah!!! Get out!!!”

Xiang Er lashed out, her hand striking blindly, landing against something cold and silken. She didn’t care, she didn’t look at Akhe, just turned and ran back to her room, slamming the door shut.

She buried her face in her pillow, her body pressed against the bed.

She knew how distorted her expression must be, and she knew that she was starting to uncontrollably think about “Shen Yuhe”… but that soul, it was Akhe! The one who had shared those intimate moments with her, who had been by her side, who had taken care of her, it wasn’t “Shen Yuhe,” it was “Akhe”!

Because Shen Yuhe didn’t exist, the only one who existed was Akhe!

She couldn’t accept it!

But even her pillow carried that faint, sweet fragrance, assaulting her senses.

Xiang Er’s heart ached, she couldn’t understand why her life was like this, why she was so weak!

But life was truly difficult, every choice, or even the lack of choice, a constant struggle, a painful loss…

She lifted her head, turned over, and stared at the ceiling, a single tear escaping her eye, rolling into her ear.

She was so sad, why wasn’t Shen Yuhe real, why was it Akhe?

The following days blurred into a monotonous cycle.

Xiang Er didn’t attempt suicide again, but she seemed to have lost her soul, going through the motions, rarely speaking, her gaze unfocused.

After a month, a clear pattern had emerged in their lives. Xiang Er would wake up naturally to the aroma of breakfast, and after washing up, she would find the table set, a fresh bouquet of flowers beside her plate.

The flowers were different every day, beautifully arranged, each day a different color theme, the dew on their petals always fresh.

And Akhe, displaying her remarkable learning abilities, had become a surprisingly good cook, now able to prepare a wide variety of dishes, even mastering the art of soup dumplings, but Xiang Er never ate anything Akhe made, just sitting there for a while, occasionally sipping some soy milk or coffee.

After breakfast, Akhe would take Xiang Er for a walk. They would stroll through the residential compound, then through the nearby park, looking at the new spring buds, observing the elderly people exercising, dancing.

After their walk, they would have lunch at a nearby restaurant, then buy groceries, snacks, small trinkets, pretty clothes and shoes, milk tea.

Two cups of milk tea every time, one extra sweet, one unsweetened.

Xiang Er would eat the restaurant food, and drink the milk tea, but whenever Akhe tried to take a picture of them together, she would turn away, sometimes even throwing her milk tea away.

In the afternoons, in the quiet, warm apartment, Akhe would disappear, hiding somewhere, giving Xiang Er various forms of entertainment, movies, exercise equipment, origami paper, a sewing machine… everything a human could do at home, to occupy her time.

But Xiang Er rarely engaged in these activities, preferring to sit on the balcony lounger, basking in the warm sunlight, her eyes closed.

The small eyeball would curl up at her feet like a cat, no longer daring to touch her with its tentacles, just a small, black ball, content to be near her.

Sometimes Xiang Er would fall asleep, and when she woke up, a hand-knitted blanket would be draped over her, but Akhe would be nowhere in sight.

Akhe seemed to be learning to knit. Once, she must have forgotten to conceal herself, and Xiang Er saw her sitting on the bed in the master bedroom, two hands and three tentacles manipulating four knitting needles simultaneously, a colorful blanket rapidly taking shape.

Whenever the yarn got tangled, a few small tentacles would deftly untangle it.

Xiang Er watched her for a few seconds, then returned to her lounger, her eyes closed, her thoughts like ripples on a still lake.

She thought:

“Tentacles are quite useful…”

Akhe’s head snapped up, her gaze fixed on Xiang Er’s lounger, her eyes shining, a happy smile curving her lips. She had indeed forgotten to conceal herself, completely engrossed in her knitting, only a small part of her mind monitoring Xiang Er’s safety, unaware that Xiang Er was watching her.

So… Xiang Er didn’t mind her using tentacles to knit?

From then on, she deliberately didn’t hide anymore, spending her afternoons knitting in the master bedroom, her tentacles on full display.

Although Xiang Er didn’t stare at her for as long as she had the first time, even a fleeting glance was enough to make Akhe happy for the entire day.

The apartment filled with blankets, mountains of colorful, hand-knitted blankets, and besides blankets, there were sweaters, scarves, vests, even socks… there was barely any space left.

In the evenings, Akhe would prepare elaborate meals, occasionally even candlelit dinners with mulled wine, and under the flickering candlelight, Xiang Er’s usually cold and distant expression would soften slightly, a sight Akhe couldn’t get enough of.

But Xiang Er would only eat a few bites, and she never drank the mulled wine. She would always lock her bedroom door before going to sleep, a symbolic gesture, even though she knew it was meaningless.

Of course, it didn’t stop Akhe. Every night, after Xiang Er fell asleep, Akhe would sneak into her room, hold her for a while, even entering her dreams.

Xiang Er’s dreams were now filled with monsters, all sorts of terrifying creatures, all with black and red tentacles and blood-red eyes, just like Akhe. Akhe would enter her dreams, defeat the other “Akhes,” then quietly leave before she woke up.

Under Akhe’s meticulous care, Xiang Er’s physical health was perfect, but the color never returned to her cheeks, her eyes remained dull and lifeless, no longer reflecting the vibrant emotions of before.

Her thoughts were also chaotic and confused, a constant source of bewilderment for Akhe, who even wondered if her SAN value had dropped too low.

Aside from Xiang Er’s silence, their life together was almost perfect, Akhe having researched human relationships and concluded that this was what couples did, it was called “peaceful, domestic bliss.”

If only Xiang Er didn’t hate It so much, it would be perfect.

Meanwhile, for the past month, Lǜ’è City had become the focus of the world’s attention, the nation’s top investigators gathered there, yet none dared approach the entity, only maintaining a tight security perimeter around the old residential compound, on high alert whenever the entity and its girlfriend appeared.

The only person who could communicate with the entity was An Yue, who had become a global celebrity, responsible for liaising with Akhe, delivering fresh flowers every day, which Akhe would retrieve with its tentacles, even occasionally sitting with Akhe in the stairwell, discussing relationship problems.

An Yue had even taken a crash course in relationship psychology, although it was all theoretical, for now, that was all Akhe needed.

One morning, a month later…

An Yue, summoned by Akhe, arrived at the sixth floor, and after waiting for almost an hour, finally knocked on the door.

She occasionally knocked before, but Xiang Er never seemed to hear, it was always Akhe’s tentacles that opened the door.

But today, after only three polite knocks, the door opened.

…A human!

An Yue’s heart sank, had Akhe taken a new hostage?

But then the door opened wider, and Xiang Er’s pale, expressionless face appeared.

An Yue was holding a bouquet of flowers, her appearance professional, her hair styled in its usual wolf cut, her angular face radiating a wild, romantic charm.

Xiang Er’s eyes lit up slightly, and she spoke, her voice hoarse from disuse:

“Officer… Officer An?”

An Yue:

“Ah… it’s me. I’m here to… deliver flowers.”

Xiang Er looked at the flowers, then suddenly smiled:

“You’re holding the flowers, so the flowers are the ones that are alive.”

Just then, Akhe, wearing an apron, emerged from the kitchen, tentacles holding a spatula, a kitchen knife, a steamer basket, a rolling pin, and dumpling wrappers.

Her beautiful face was calm, her gaze fixed on An Yue, her jealousy undisguised.

The air in the room grew heavy, the pressure almost crushing An Yue, who stood firm, her willpower and strong physique her only defense.

But Xiang Er, glancing back at Akhe, added, her voice laced with a hint of malicious amusement:

“Unlike that thing, which can’t even pretend convincingly.”

Akhe’s tentacles lashed out, the kitchen knife raised menacingly, like a hydra’s heads poised to strike.

Chapter 81: The Small Eyeball

Akhe silently, helplessly swallowed the blood, her mouth opening as if to speak, then closing again.

She simply lifted Xiang Er with a tentacle and carried her swiftly back to the apartment.

The journey was silent.

That day, many people saw a strange, unidentified flying object in the sky, a swirling mass of black tentacles, moving swiftly above the city.

Flocks of startled birds scattered in its wake, aircraft malfunctioned, even electromagnetic signals were disrupted. As the massive, silent tentacles passed overhead, people felt a strange, inexplicable pang of sadness.

Back at the apartment, Xiang Er’s mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood, and she immediately rushed to the bathroom, rinsing her mouth repeatedly.

She washed her face, staring at her reflection in the mirror, the water droplets clinging to her skin, the ghost of Akhe’s kiss lingering, impossible to erase.

She gritted her teeth, her eyes red and swollen, the tears difficult to wash away.

“Chirp?”

A small, bird-like sound came from outside the door, a hesitant, almost cautious chirp.

Thin lines tapped against the door, then snaked upwards.

Xiang Er finished washing her face and opened the bathroom door.

There was no tall, elegant woman waiting for her, no thick tentacles, nothing.

Xiang Er hesitated, about to turn away, when something grabbed her ankle. She looked down.

The small eyeball, its large eye wide, was clinging to her ankle with its thin, smooth tentacles, bouncing slightly, chirping softly, trying to get her attention.

Xiang Er:

“…”

She tried to shake it off, but it was stuck, like a piece of sticky candy, clinging to her foot, bouncing back like a black yo-yo when she kicked it.

Xiang Er simply dragged it along as she walked, it wasn’t heavy anyway.

She dragged the small eyeball out to the living room, looked around, and realized that Akhe wasn’t there.

Where had it gone? The thought crossed her mind, then she quickly dismissed it: What did it matter to her?

Xiang Er sat down on the sofa, lifted her foot, placed the small eyeball in her hand, and started pulling at it.

The small eyeball let out a series of agitated squeaks, as if in pain, but its tentacles clung tightly to her ankle, refusing to let go.

Xiang Er thought for a moment, then said coldly to the small eyeball:

“Get off.”

Small Eyeball:

“Chirp!”

Xiang Er:

“Do you want me to cut off your hands?”

Small Eyeball, its voice timid yet defiant:

“Woof… ooo chirp!”

Xiang Er couldn’t understand what it was saying, but seeing its tentacles tighten their grip, she understood its meaning. She grabbed a pair of scissors from the table and held them towards her ankle.

“Get off, or I’ll cut them.”

The small eyeball whimpered:

“Ooh… wuwuwu chirp squeak…”

Xiang Er’s voice was cold and merciless:

“You can talk, I know.”

The small eyeball’s cute animal sounds stopped abruptly, and after a moment of silence, it spoke:

“No… don’t…”

Xiang Er:

“Then get off.”

Small Eyeball:

“Wuwuwu no, no… Mommy doesn’t want me… wuwu…”

The small eyeball, its black, slimy body, rubbed against Xiang Er’s ankle and foot, leaving trails of black slime, and Xiang Er, disgusted, tried to shake it off.

She held the scissors closer, lifting one of the small eyeball’s tentacles:

“Get off! I’m going to do it!”

The small eyeball suddenly opened its slit-like mouth wide, almost splitting its body in half, and wailed loudly:

“Waaaaah—Mommy, it hurts—waaaah—don’t hurt me, wuwuwu—waaaah aaaaaah!”

Xiang Er pressed her hand against her temple, her head throbbing. She wasn’t afraid of death, but she couldn’t handle this kind of childish tantrum, it was worse than Chinese New Year.

She held the scissors, the tentacle, but hesitated at the last moment.

Just then, Akhe, appearing from nowhere, her arms crossed, scoffed:

“Heh… if you cut off its hand, it won’t grow back.”

Xiang Er turned to look at her. Akhe, in her flowing red dress, leaned against the wall, her posture elegant and aloof, her makeup light and understated, her expression seemingly annoyed, but… her beautiful eyes were filled with a mixture of reproach and sadness, glancing at Xiang Er, then quickly looking away when their gazes met.

Her attempts at stealing glances were truly clumsy.

Xiang Er turned back to the small eyeball, lifted the scissors, and… “snip.”

The small eyeball’s cries stopped abruptly, and it looked at Xiang Er, its slit-like mouth closed, its eye wide with disbelief.

Xiang Er held the severed piece of fabric from her sock, glanced at the small eyeball, and said coldly:

“Touch me again, and you’ll end up like this.”

The small eyeball looked at the scissors, then at the severed fabric, its tentacles still clinging to it.

But… she hadn’t cut its tentacle.

The small eyeball opened its mouth and said, its voice filled with wonder:

“Mommy… Mommy didn’t hurt me… Mommy doesn’t want me to be hurt!”

Akhe, in the corner, stared, her eyes wide with disbelief. Why? This wasn’t fair!

The small eyeball, however, was overjoyed. It opened its eye wide, bounced excitedly like a black ping pong ball, almost hitting Xiang Er’s face, shouting:

“Mommy didn’t hurt me! Mommy didn’t hurt me! Mommy likes me, Mommy likes me!”

Xiang Er, exasperated, covered her face with her hand, stood up, and stepped over the bouncing small eyeball.

She had to go to her room, which meant passing by Akhe, who was still standing in the corner.

As expected, a thick tentacle shot out and grabbed her, holding her captive.

She sighed, her gaze fixed on the imperfectly repaired wall, not looking at Akhe.

Akhe approached, her voice low and angry:

“You could bite off my tongue, why can’t you cut off its tentacle?”

Xiang Er:

“Because I wanted to.”

Akhe suddenly appeared in front of Xiang Er, a tentacle lifting her chin, forcing her to look, to meet her gaze.

Only after confirming that Xiang Er’s eyes held only her reflection did Akhe’s anger subside slightly.

Akhe’s voice, slow and deliberate, each word measured, asked:

“You hate me, don’t you? Then why don’t you hate it? Do you even know what it is?”

Xiang Er didn’t know, but she knew her instincts were right, the small eyeball and Akhe were separate entities, otherwise Akhe wouldn’t be so jealous.

She raised an eyebrow, a defiant glint in her eye, and said calmly:

“It’s more lovable than you, no matter what it is.”

Akhe’s anger flared again, the tentacle holding Xiang Er’s chin tightening, almost drawing blood.

She stared into Xiang Er’s eyes and said:

“It’s… a manifestation of my endless love for you. Don’t you understand… it came from me, but it was born because of you, you hate me this much, then why… why don’t you hate it?”

Xiang Er froze.

Akhe, with a tentacle, roughly grabbed the small eyeball, lifted it into the air, and held it before Xiang Er’s face:

“Look! Look at it! If you hate me, if you hate my love for you, then why don’t you hate it? It is my love for you!”

The small eyeball, dangling like a black and red ornament, its red eye peeking out from beneath its eyelid, looked utterly pathetic. Its slit-like mouth opened, and it said sadly:

“Mommy… I love you the most, Mommy…”

It didn’t even look at Akhe. Although it had been born from Akhe, all its yearning, all its innocent affection, was directed towards Xiang Er.

Xiang Er was stunned, utterly stunned.

She had imagined many origins for the small eyeball, a byproduct of Akhe, a small animal turned into a monster.

She also realized that the fight between her and the small eyeball had been orchestrated by Akhe, but she had never imagined… that the small eyeball was born because of her.

Akhe’s tentacle, holding the small eyeball, trembled slightly, and transparent tears, like a human’s, welled up in her eyes. She said:

“You know… when I first discovered it, I was scared, because I didn’t understand, why my body was splitting, why I was… giving birth to something, I thought I was… broken. I kept it in the refrigerator, and that day, you wished for me to leave. I left, but it… it didn’t disappear, it grew larger. Can you understand… you asked me to leave, but my love for you… was growing.”

Xiang Er looked at the small eyeball, silent, the tentacle on her chin now gone, but she didn’t seem to notice.

Akhe’s voice trembled:

“Later… later, we… I thought we were a couple, that we should… be intimate, and I… I did that with you in your dream… my love for you grew uncontrollably, and it grew larger, more powerful… that night, it… it climbed into your bed, I didn’t even know until I emerged from your dream…

You were so angry, I tore it apart, reabsorbed it, but I realized it had developed its own consciousness, it thought of itself as your child, it didn’t want to merge with me… I could only… restrict its growth, and send it to you.

Don’t you… also think it’s like your child? If so, then please don’t hate me anymore… I’m its mother too…”

By the end, Akhe’s voice was choked with sobs, tears streaming down her face, her eyes glistening with pain and a desperate plea.

The room was silent, the small eyeball also silent, its single eye fixed on Xiang Er, like a well-behaved child.

It was a lot to process. Xiang Er thought for a long time, then finally understood.

She spoke with difficulty:

“You’re saying… I… the things I… dreamed, it was all you… how did you… do those things?”

Akhe extended a tentacle, gently touching Xiang Er’s forehead, a wave of sweet, thick fragrance filling the air.

Their clothes instantly vanished, the small eyeball thrown into the bedroom, the door slammed shut, and Akhe, her naked body beautiful and flawless, pressed against Xiang Er, her eyes still angry, her breath a sweet, intoxicating whisper against Xiang Er’s skin.

Her breath warm against Xiang Er’s ear, her soft breasts pressed against Xiang Er’s chest, she slid into Xiang Er’s arms like a smooth, sweet fish, turning Xiang Er’s face towards hers:

“Do you want to try again?”

Chapter 80: Another World

Akhe ate the entire bowl of chili peppers.

Although they weren’t particularly spicy, and there weren’t that many, the bowl also contained Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and other spices, which she also consumed, even meticulously scooping up the remaining chili oil with a spoon.

Then, her face flushed from the spices, her lips red and slightly swollen, she gave Xiang Er a strained smile:

“I’m finished, thank you.”

Xiang Er, watching her discomfort in the sunlight, her gaze cold and indifferent, didn’t respond.

She picked up the bowl of food Akhe had served her and dumped it into the trash.

Akhe:

“…Oh.”

Xiang Er still didn’t say anything, but… she picked up her chopsticks and started eating.

Akhe’s eyes lit up, her voice filled with excitement:

“You’re eating!”

Xiang Er ignored her, picking at her food, taking a few bites, then putting down her chopsticks.

Akhe picked up her own chopsticks, as if to serve Xiang Er more food, then hesitated, just looking at her with bright, expectant eyes.

Xiang Er looked up.

Her gaze calm, her voice cold, she said:

“I can’t eat when I’m looking at you.”

Akhe’s joyful expression faltered, replaced by awkwardness. She said cautiously:

“Then… don’t you want to see Little Fish’s face? I thought you liked…”

At the mention of Little Fish, Xiang Er’s brow furrowed. Akhe immediately fell silent, stood up, and walked towards the exit.

Seeing the Evil God leave the restaurant for some reason, the other investigators quickly split up, most of them following Akhe, a few remaining to protect Xiang Er. The restaurant suddenly felt much emptier, quieter.

Only Xiang Er remained at their table, listlessly picking at her food, as if genuinely trying to eat.

Akhe left the restaurant and walked towards the distant river.

But It maintained Its connection to Xiang Er’s mind, standing by the river, watching the flowing water, sensing the faint death wish in Xiang Er’s thoughts, contemplating the meaning of human death, the preciousness of human life.

And what it was about this human that had captivated It so completely, making It willing to abandon its dignity, its divine power, just to grovel at her feet, begging for forgiveness.

It was lost in thought, unable to find any concrete answers, only sensing the faint ripples of Xiang Er’s thoughts, their subtle currents reaching into Its mind.

It felt as if… a connection, like an umbilical cord, had formed between Xiang Er’s mind and the Evil God.

Many investigators were hidden along the riverbank, not daring to approach, nor to leave, communicating in whispers: What’s the Evil God doing? Is there something special about this place? Why did it leave its girlfriend? Is there an anomaly nearby?

Suddenly, Akhe looked up at the sky, and a dozen thick tentacles erupted from its body, reaching towards the heavens!

The investigators froze, sensing the Evil God’s oppressive aura, like a hurricane, their own abilities surging, their SAN value alarms blaring!

“Holy shit, what’s happening? Why is the Evil God suddenly transforming?!”

“The pollution levels just spiked!”

“Could it be a super-pollutant… but even a Class S isn’t this powerful!”

The investigators, no longer bothering to whisper, shouted to each other, not daring to look directly at the Evil God’s terrifying form.

The Evil God’s body radiated a dark light, its countless powerful tentacles piercing the sky, through the clouds, its target unknown, its beautiful eyes glowing black, its skin splitting open, tentacles erupting from within!

Black slime spread rapidly, covering the riverbank, the ever-flowing river suddenly still, time and space distorting, the water flowing backwards, then upwards, forming a swirling vortex!

The investigators’ bodies felt like they were being torn apart, their own powers threatening to consume them, and they screamed, one of them crying out the Evil God’s name:

“Akhe! Great God Akhe! Please… stop…”

But their pleas were like mosquito buzzing to the Evil God, which seemed lost in some otherworldly struggle, its tentacles, thick as pillars, piercing the sky, its body dissolving into a black river, countless eyeballs bursting and scattering… its true form slowly revealing itself.

Until one of the investigators, close to death, cried out:

“Your Xiang Er is still waiting for you!”

The other investigators immediately echoed:

“Xiang Er! Xiang Er is still waiting for you!”

“Your girlfriend, Xiang Er, is still there!”

The name “Xiang Er,” repeated over and over, seemed to reach the Evil God, the black river pausing, then quickly coalescing, its scattered parts reforming, the tentacles retracting from the sky, disappearing beneath the torn human skin.

The powerful aura dissipated, the strange light vanished, the world returning to normal, or at least, a semblance of normalcy.

Then… the Evil God pulled the human skin back on, the black slime sealing the cracks, retrieving the head with its long, flowing hair, and carefully placing it back on its body.

Black slime dripped from the hair, and soon, the hair, smooth as silk, cascaded down its back, the beautiful figure glowing, a new set of clothes appearing.

This time, a red dress. A faint trace of chili oil lingered on her lips, like a smudge of lipstick, or perhaps the remnants of a monstrous feast.

The investigators, bruised and battered, slowly stood up from the bushes along the riverbank, their bodies swaying, unsure what to do.

Akhe, her red dress flowing, walked past them, her voice light and airy:

“One of my kind has taken an interest in this place, I’ve warned it.”

It took a while for the investigators to process her words, then… a wave of terror washed over them.

One Evil God had already caused a global resurgence of pollution, another one… could humanity survive?

Xiang Er didn’t react to Akhe’s change of clothes.

She ate a little, basked in the sunlight, enjoyed a moment of solitude, then, feeling sleepy, stood up and left the restaurant.

As she reached the entrance, Akhe, in her red dress, appeared, extending a hand towards her, her voice soft:

“Xiang Er.”

Xiang Er looked at the red dress, at the outstretched hand. She remembered the first time she had met “Shen Yuhe,” she had been dressed like this, her hand extended, offering assistance.

She had been so foolish back then, thinking that Shen Yuhe was truly there to help her.

But now, the memory only brought disgust and shame, and she said:

“Get lost.”

She walked on, and Akhe, of course, didn’t get lost, just followed, her hand gently touching Xiang Er’s waist, her voice low and intimate:

“Do you know what I was doing just now? I’ll tell you, one of my kind, it has taken an interest in this planet, I’ve warned it for you.”

Xiang Er frowned, her voice weary and annoyed:

“Shut up.”

Akhe obediently fell silent, following Xiang Er. After a while, noticing Xiang Er’s drowsiness, she extended a tentacle, wrapped it around her, and lifted her into the air.

Xiang Er had never flown before, and she was momentarily surprised, then she quickly adapted, as if… riding in a transparent, flying car.

It was now spring, and the wind, no longer as biting as in winter, caressed her face. Xiang Er, sitting on the coiled tentacle, wasn’t afraid of falling, in fact, falling might be preferable.

Beside her was Akhe, in her human form, also sitting on a thick tentacle, her soft, silken hair occasionally brushing against Xiang Er’s ear and cheek.

Xiang Er turned her head away, her gaze falling on the world below.

The small buildings, created by humans, looked like sandcastles, tiny figures moving within them, smaller than ants.

Since learning that Akhe was a Evil God, Xiang Er had understood it intellectually, but not viscerally, until now, seeing the world from the Evil God’s perspective.

In the eyes of a Evil God, humans were probably even less significant than ants, weren’t they? The differences between them as insignificant as the differences between ants, what made her so special? Why had It gone to such lengths, crafting a human disguise just for her?

Then, why had Akhe said… that It had fallen in love with her at first sight?

Xiang Er considered it, the equivalent of her falling in love with an ant, how was that possible?

Xiang Er couldn’t understand, and she could only conclude: It was probably lonely, unable to find companionship among its own kind. In that sense, they were similar, both lonely beings, without friends or companions.

“Perhaps… I’m not a very good Evil God. I think… I want to be human? Or perhaps, I envy the close bonds between you humans, I want to feel the emotions you speak of, it’s just… I used the wrong methods. I’m sorry.”

Akhe’s voice, soft and gentle, whispered in Xiang Er’s ear, her words sincere, her tone apologetic.

But Xiang Er didn’t respond, not even in her mind, just scoffed.

They flew into the clouds. The clouds, which looked like fluffy cotton balls from the ground, were now just a thin mist, their form indistinct.

Xiang Er instinctively reached out to touch a cloud, but her hand passed through it, leaving only a faint dampness.

She leaned forward, almost falling, and a pair of strong, soft arms caught her, pulling her into a warm embrace.

Xiang Er instinctively struggled, but the arms tightened around her, and soon, tentacles joined the embrace, coiling around her neck.

She felt like she was suffocating, and she heard Akhe’s voice, tinged with a sigh:

“Let me hold you for a while… Xiang Er, you haven’t called my name in a long time, I want to hear you say it, call me Akhe, just once.”

For a moment, Xiang Er, succumbing to the familiar, comforting sensation, stopped struggling.

But then, her mind cleared, and she pushed Akhe away, a surge of anger overwhelming her, and she jumped.

Akhe cried out, reaching for her, but she missed!

Xiang Er, like a white magnolia blossom, her skirt billowing, fell through the clouds.

She felt a sense of pure, unadulterated freedom, a smile even appearing on her lips, as she spread her arms, as if embracing the world below.

She was just an ant, unable to bear the weight of a god’s love, she just wanted to return to her own kind, to embrace the crowded, mundane world of humans.

She wanted to fall, to be free of all desires, all attachments.

The wind howled like a demon, whipping against her face, almost drawing blood, her eyes stinging, forcing her to close them as she fell.

And just as she was about to hit the ground…

A thin, strong tentacle snaked down and caught her around the waist.

A sudden lurch, the world spinning, Xiang Er’s head swimming, she felt like she was going to be sick.

“Xiang Er… you… you… you really wouldn’t even call my name? Even in your mind, if you had just called me, asked me to save you, I would have come, but why didn’t you? Why…”

Xiang Er felt herself being pulled into a warm, familiar embrace, tentacles and arms holding her tightly, warm tears falling on her face.

Then, soft lips pressed against her skin, kissing her cheeks, her eyes, her nose, the wind-chafed skin on her face, her chin, her ear… carefully avoiding her lips.

The voice, choked with sobs, whispered:

“Xiang Er… Xiang Er…”

The kisses, desperate and relentless, rained down on her.

Xiang Er closed her eyes, her lips parting slightly, a barely audible whisper escaping them:

“Akhe.”

The kisses stopped abruptly, and then, those possessive lips, with a desperate tenderness, claimed hers.

“Mm…”

In the tangled embrace, Akhe responded.

Content.

As long as she was willing to say its name…

“Akhe, I hate you, you know that.”

Xiang Er bit down hard on Akhe’s tongue, blood filling their mouths, the words venomous, bitter.

But even as she spoke, tears streamed down Xiang Er’s face, mingling with the blood, their tears and blood intertwined, a tangled mess between their joined lips.

Two lonely beings, finding solace only in each other, even if it meant being wounded by the other’s thorns… still…

Chapter 79: That Day

Akhe maintained her protective posture, her head tilted, shielding Xiang Er, for over a minute.

Until the last of the monster’s remains had fallen to the ground, the sky clear, the tentacles still and idle.

Akhe continued to shield Xiang Er, her beautiful profile facing her.

Waiting… waiting for a response that never came.

Xiang Er shifted her feet, brushed off some dust, and stood up.

Without even glancing at Akhe, she turned and walked away.

Her demeanor was calm, indifferent, as if nothing had happened.

The scene was unexpected, the investigators watching from a distance, disguised as ordinary passersby, exchanging surprised glances.

What was this reaction? What was going on? There was no protocol for this!

Beyond the small area shielded by the Evil God, the ground was covered in the monster’s remains, a corrosive, sizzling mess, its flesh clearly toxic, a single touch deadly to humans.

Xiang Er reached the edge of the clean area and, without hesitation, stepped onto the sea of blood and gore.

Several of the newer investigators almost couldn’t contain themselves, she was just an ordinary human! How could they stand by and watch her… one of them even called out:

“Hey!”

But the next second…

As Xiang Er’s foot landed on the gore, black slime oozed from beneath her shoe, spreading outwards.

Wherever the black slime spread, the monster’s remains vanished, absorbed into the slime.

And wherever Xiang Er stepped, a path of black slime appeared, shielding her from the toxic remains.

The investigators stared in astonishment: Was this… the Evil God’s protection?

The rookie who had called out covered her mouth with her hand, a cold sweat breaking out. The intel had been very clear, the Evil God could read minds, and for a moment, she had doubted its love for Xiang Er, she had practically invited death! She was so sorry, she was wrong, the Evil God truly loved her! They were a match made in heaven! A perfect couple!

Silence fell upon the street, the cars still frozen, the pedestrians, all investigators in disguise, holding their breath, quietly retreating.

A Class S pollutant, which would normally require a team of highly trained investigators to subdue and contain, had been so easily… destroyed by the Evil God… A Evil God with such power, yet in love with a human, and that human, so… unique, so independent, this was a complicated situation…

If the Evil God failed in its pursuit, the fate of the earth was uncertain. But as humans, they also knew that love couldn’t be forced.

The safety of the world, it seemed, rested on the shoulders of a single, fragile human girl.

At first, they had been focused on the Evil God, but now, their anxious gazes were fixed on the girl.

Countless eyes watched her, their emotions as complex as the Evil God’s.

And the slender girl at the center of their attention, walked calmly on.

Her frail body swayed slightly in the wind, her face pale, her eyes half-closed, her lips pressed together in a thin line, her expression blank. No fear, no gratitude, just… indifference. She was like a walking statue, each step leaving a trail of darkness, her emotions hidden beneath a thick shell, impenetrable, unreadable.

Even to the Evil God.

Xiang Er wasn’t just walking aimlessly. She deliberately changed directions, walking towards the piles of gore, several times even attempting to touch them, but each time, the black slime appeared, absorbing the remains before her hand could reach them.

Frustrated, she picked up an eyeball from the slime.

The blood-red eyeball blinked at her, and Xiang Er, with a cold smile, crushed it in her hand.

The eyeball burst, its viscous fluids splattering across her palm, the stench filling her nostrils.

Xiang Er casually flicked the remnants away, like throwing a snowball, and it landed on a nearby tree.

The splattered eyeball clung to the tree, which quickly withered and died, its leaves falling, and within half a minute, it was a bare, lifeless trunk.

Xiang Er stared at the dead tree, a strange stillness in her gaze.

Then, Akhe’s voice, soft and magnetic, echoed beside her ear:

“I can heal it, don’t worry.”

Black slime crept onto the dead tree, and it quickly revived, new buds sprouting, then unfurling, growing rapidly, and within half a minute, the tree was restored, its leaves lush and vibrant, as if reborn.

Akhe said:

“See? Everything can be fixed.”

Xiang Er turned and finally looked at her.

Akhe looked back at her, the corners of her eyes as beautiful as a peacock’s feathers, her lips curving into a hesitant smile, a mixture of hope and trepidation. Under Xiang Er’s gaze, she felt… honored.

But Xiang Er just looked at her coldly, her voice flat:

“That monster… you arranged that too, didn’t you?”

Akhe was taken aback:

“No…”

Xiang Er raised a sharp eyebrow:

“How could it not be you? That time with my boss, wasn’t that you?”

Akhe froze.

Black, viscous substance covered the street, the resurrected tree swaying gently in the breeze, the world strangely silent.

That day, in the quiet rain, Xiang Er had been attacked by a monster, and “Shen Yuhe” had appeared, a heroic savior, even getting injured, her blood dripping onto Xiang Er’s face.

It was after that incident that Xiang Er had let down her guard, her feelings for “Shen Yuhe” deepening, even inventing the “investigator” story.

How similar to today!

Xiang Er now understood, it had all been a charade, so how could this time be any different?

With the Evil God’s power, how could an ordinary monster even get close to her?

Xiang Er, finding the whole situation ridiculous, laughed, a wild, unrestrained laugh:

“Hehehe… hahahahaha! I was so stupid back then, hahahahaha! So pathetically deceived!”

Akhe’s voice was soft:

“But… I didn’t lie to you. Your boss’s obsession was you, he came for you, my injury was real, only the… the healing was fake. And… that day, I was actually planning to tell you everything, to reveal my true identity.”

Xiang Er’s laughter stopped abruptly.

She frowned and looked at Akhe in disbelief, her gaze lingering longer than before.

Akhe looked at her, her beautiful eyes filled with sadness, her eyelashes trembling slightly. Now, she wouldn’t lie anymore, even though her posture was hesitant, her gaze was clear and honest, she dared to meet Xiang Er’s eyes.

Everything she said was true, even if Xiang Er thought she was a liar, she believed that as long as she kept telling the truth, eventually… Xiang Er would believe her.

Xiang Er stared at her, her gaze searching, probing, looking for any sign of deceit.

But… there was none, she couldn’t find any.

Xiang Er narrowed her eyes and whispered:

“You’re getting better at lying. But I don’t believe a word you say.”

She turned to leave, then stopped, looking back at Akhe with a mocking smile:

“So even you admit that you orchestrated this, right?”

Akhe:

“No, I didn’t…”

Xiang Er had already turned and walked away, not listening to her excuses.

Akhe stood there for a moment, then sighed sadly and continued to follow Xiang Er, like a loyal black serpent.

The investigators, who had witnessed the entire scene: …

This was… this Evil God was truly… sigh… they didn’t know what to say… it was just… sigh… this mission was so difficult!

At noon, Xiang Er sat on the edge of a flower bed, observing the bustling street scene.

She had walked for over a mile, reaching the edge of the city, a place she had never been before, a place filled with ordinary people, living their ordinary lives.

She vaguely sensed that some people were following her, some cars as well, but she didn’t care, just wandering aimlessly.

This entire planet, to her, was just a giant prison, what did it matter where she went?

Akhe’s voice echoed beside her:

“It’s time for lunch, you didn’t eat breakfast, you have to eat something now.”

Xiang Er ignored her.

Akhe gently helped her up, a tentacle subtly wrapping around her waist, leading her to a nearby restaurant.

The restaurant was quiet and elegant, filled with young people, mostly couples.

All of them, in reality, investigators in disguise.

Xiang Er, of course, didn’t care. She allowed herself to be led by the tentacle, her face expressionless, and sat down.

Their table was by the window, the sunlight warm and gentle on her face.

Xiang Er turned her head slightly towards the window, suddenly feeling hungry.

Akhe immediately asked:

“Do you want to order, or should I?”

Xiang Er closed her eyes, basking in the sunlight.

Akhe, looking at the menu, said:

“I’ll order then, I know what you like… you don’t like spicy food, right? Then no Mapo tofu, no spicy pork… you like mushrooms, how about stir-fried mushrooms?”

The waiter approached, pen and notepad in hand:

“What would you… the two of you… like to order?”

Akhe, seeing the waiter’s trembling hand, glanced at Xiang Er, relieved that she wasn’t looking, hadn’t noticed anything.

Akhe quickly rattled off her order, and the waiter, scribbling it down, said:

“We… we hope to see you again!”

Then quickly turned and left.

Akhe glanced at Xiang Er again. Xiang Er was still staring out the window, lost in thought.

Just then, a couple at the table behind them started arguing.

The woman slammed her hand on the table and, pointing at the man, shouted:

“You lied to me!”

Xiang Er’s eyes flickered open, and she glanced back, clearly seeing the arguing couple.

The man, his head shaved, his appearance sharp and capable, was now bowing and scraping, apologizing profusely:

“I was wrong to lie to you, I apologize, but you have to understand, I only lied because I love you!”

The woman, her hair in a ponytail, her arms, despite the dress she wore, surprisingly muscular, slammed her hand on the table again, making the dishes jump.

She said:

“Even if you love me, you can’t lie! Love has to be based on honesty!”

The man was about to reply when Xiang Er suddenly scoffed:

“Stop acting, it’s boring.”

Akhe:

“…”

The two investigators, pretending to be a couple:

“…”

The two investigators froze, unsure whether to continue their performance. Akhe extended two tentacles, grabbed them, and deposited them at the restaurant entrance, then said softly:

“Let’s just eat.”

Xiang Er closed her eyes again.

Akhe:

“How… how did you know they were acting?”

Xiang Er opened her eyes:

“A person can only be fooled once.”

Akhe:

“…Then it’s a good thing you were fooled by me.”

Xiang Er:

“…Shut up.”

Akhe:

“Okay. Let’s eat!”

The food arrived, and Akhe, expertly wielding her chopsticks, filled Xiang Er’s bowl.

Xiang Er, unusually, picked up her chopsticks and meticulously removed all the chili peppers from her dishes, placing them in Akhe’s bowl:

“Eat.”

Akhe:

“…Thank you, darling.”

She picked up the chili peppers, one by one, and ate them. Although they weren’t particularly spicy, her face instantly flushed crimson, and even her tentacles turned red.

Xiang Er narrowed her eyes. It seemed that the liar wasn’t lying about everything, at least… not about her inability to handle spicy food.

Chapter 78: The Date

It was the New Year’s holiday.

People, recovering from the recent turmoil, were picking up the pieces, trying to have a peaceful New Year’s Day. Shops were redecorating, couples were out shopping, making amends, families were finally able to enjoy outings together, the streets filled with a festive atmosphere.

Even in the old residential compound, time seemed to be moving forward again, people preparing for the upcoming Lunar New Year.

Akhe, wearing the black coat Xiang Er had once admired, took Xiang Er out.

Of course, Xiang Er now knew that all of Akhe’s clothes were self-conjured. How ridiculous it seemed now, her previous worry about damaging Akhe’s clothes and being unable to compensate her.

Even the clothes were a lie.

Akhe used her tentacles to dress Xiang Er in a white dress, one of Xiang Er’s favorites, but as soon as it was on, Xiang Er would rip it apart, a cold smile on her lips.

Akhe would patiently put on another dress, and another, dozens of dresses, all torn to shreds by Xiang Er. Akhe’s expression remained gentle, not a trace of anger, instead, she said cheerfully:

“You’re very strong today.”

Finally, after finding a suitable outfit, Akhe had to use her tentacles to restrain Xiang Er, preventing her from destroying this one as well.

It was a long, cream-colored dress with pink accents, and a matching beige coat, perfectly complementing Xiang Er’s delicate frame. Akhe, satisfied, held Xiang Er in place with her tentacles, squatted down, and with her own slender, white hands, put on Xiang Er’s ankle boots.

Xiang Er’s feet were small, and Akhe, affectionately squeezing her ankle, received a swift kick in the chest in return. She caught Xiang Er’s foot, kissed her ankle, and held it gently.

Xiang Er froze, realizing that every act of defiance was like a reward for Akhe, and it infuriated her.

Akhe opened the apartment door, and the long-absent sunlight fell on Xiang Er’s face, making her look up.

The sun, distant and small, offered no warmth, it, too, seemed fake. Xiang Er couldn’t help but wonder, was her perception being altered again?

Akhe’s voice, soft and reassuring, said:

“No. I won’t alter your perception again, from now on, I promise, everything you see, everything you experience, all your memories, will be completely real. And I never altered your perception before, I only… I only erased some of your memories…”

Her voice trailed off, a hint of guilt in her tone.

Xiang Er didn’t believe a word, and she asked bluntly:

“That last day, wasn’t it you who… did that to me?”

Akhe was taken aback:

“What?”

The memory of that last day surfaced in Xiang Er’s mind. Before attempting suicide, she had desperately searched for Shen Yuhe, her dignity forgotten, her mind consumed by the need to be with her… hadn’t it been this monster, this Evil God, who had manipulated her mind? She had been… violated… that’s why she had broken down!

Aside from the lies, the betrayal, the grotesque true form, Xiang Er had thought that the Evil God at least respected her autonomy, that It needed her permission, her wish, before acting.

But after returning from the mall that day, the Evil God had completely taken control of her mind, her love, her very being, a toy to be played with, it was… a violation she couldn’t forgive!

Realizing that her mind had been manipulated, that she had been violated… the last thread of her sanity had snapped, and she had seen only one way out: suicide!

And now, this creature was trying to rewrite history, claiming that it had never altered her perception, how could that be possible?

Xiang Er didn’t bother explaining, just turned and walked down the stairs.

Akhe, looking at Xiang Er’s slender, retreating figure, frowned:

“Are you talking about… that time?”

Her face suddenly lit up, and she hurried down the stairs after Xiang Er, her voice eager:

“That was because of the monster in the mall, not me! It wasn’t me at all!”

Xiang Er stopped and turned to look at her.

Akhe, like a drowning person clinging to a lifeline, her face alight with hope, her words tumbling out incoherently, tentacles even sprouting from her body, gesturing wildly:

“It’s true! Oh… your memories…”

One of Akhe’s tentacles reached out and touched Xiang Er’s head.

Xiang Er, disgusted, swatted the tentacle away, but a wave of dizziness washed over her.

Something… memories, new memories, were surfacing!

Xiang Er was lost in the memories. She saw herself and “Shen Yuhe” getting out of the car at the mall, then she saw “Shen Yuhe” in the sky, rescuing people with her slime, and then… she, suspicious, entering the mall, confronting “Shen Yuhe,” then being kissed, then fainting.

And after that, those shameful, frantic memories, her naked body at the bathroom door… Akhe, her body covered in tentacles, holding her, had indeed said something about “poison,” but she had been delirious then.

Akhe’s voice, rapid and urgent, explained:

“You must have absorbed some of the monster’s blood in the mall, the pollution in its blood amplified your desires, suppressed your reason, you were almost completely consumed by the pollution, I had to… use my tentacles to… extract the toxins from your body… and then… I lost control, but I never altered your perception! I only erased a few memories!”

Xiang Er stood frozen on the stairs, trying to piece together the fragments of memory.

Her voice cold, she asked:

“Are you saying that… all those… all those crazy things I did, it was because of the monster’s toxins?”

Akhe’s voice was filled with excitement:

“Yes! Well, not entirely… I said, the toxins amplified your deepest desires, and your desire… was me!”

As she said this, she suddenly appeared in front of Xiang Er, her gaze locking onto Xiang Er’s.

Her face, the familiar, beautiful face of Shen Yuhe, the face that Xiang Er found so alluring, now wore a sweet, earnest smile, like a condemned prisoner granted a reprieve, a traveler in the desert finding an oasis… Her voice soft, each word carefully enunciated, her face glowing with each syllable, as if savoring the sweet taste of life itself:

“Your desire… was me.”

She stood on the step below Xiang Er, and although taller, she bent slightly, so that Xiang Er had to look up to meet her gaze.

Her eyes, filled with hope and anticipation, looked up from beneath her eyelashes.

Xiang Er’s face, backlit, her hand on the railing, its expression obscured, only the sharp line of her jaw visible, like a blade.

The blade of the dagger Akhe had given her, the dagger she had used to try to kill herself.

Time seemed to freeze in the narrow, cold stairwell, a sliver of sunlight filtering through the window, illuminating a strand of Xiang Er’s hair, her small figure a powerful judge, passing sentence.

Under Akhe’s loving, hopeful gaze, in the faint yet bright sunlight, in this crumbling old building…

Xiang Er’s lips parted slightly, and she uttered a single word:

“Liar.”

Akhe froze.

Xiang Er brushed past her and continued down the stairs, without another word.

Step by step, like the turning wheel of karma. Every action has its consequences, and with the consequences… no one believes the cause.

Who would believe the truth from a liar?

Even if it was the truth.

Even if… that liar loved her, desperately, pathetically.

The world outside seemed different somehow. Xiang Er glanced around, seeing many people, young and middle-aged, carrying gifts, entering and leaving the buildings.

It was New Year’s Eve, and they were visiting their families. Xiang Er walked on, her face cold and expressionless, so pale that even the sunlight seemed to turn to ice on her skin.

She walked alone, not knowing where she was going. She had no place in this broken world, no freedom, and she had been deceived, repeatedly, by a liar.

Did she look that gullible?

Xiang Er chuckled self-deprecatingly, ignoring the people around her. As she reached the gate of the compound, she heard Akhe’s footsteps behind her.

The same rhythmic clicking as Shen Yuhe’s, the sound that had once made Xiang Er’s heart flutter, now filled her with disgust.

She quickened her pace, exiting the compound, passing several street vendors selling vegetables and daily necessities, just like always.

Why could everyone else live their normal lives? Why didn’t they have to suffer the torment of a deceitful Evil God? Xiang Er felt a pang of envy.

She suddenly dashed across the street against the red light, muttering “sorry” to the driver who almost hit her.

With a screech of tires, a car braked sharply, and Xiang Er, caught by a thick tentacle, was pulled back into Akhe’s arms.

Akhe, her human facade holding Xiang Er close, whispered:

“Be careful.”

Xiang Er slapped her across the face.

Akhe turned her cheek, softening the blow. Xiang Er pulled away, continuing to walk, and Akhe followed, her voice close to Xiang Er’s ear:

“Remember? We used to walk this way, we bought toothpaste and toothbrushes at that convenience store…”

She chattered endlessly, and when Xiang Er tried to avoid her, she followed, her words a constant stream of meaningless noise.

Until Xiang Er, unable to bear it any longer, shouted:

“Shut up!”

Everyone around them turned to look, their whispers echoing.

Before, being stared at like this would have embarrassed Xiang Er, but now, she wasn’t afraid anymore. She screamed, her voice filled with anguish:

“You think I’ve forgotten? I remember everything, more clearly than you! Monster, get away from me!”

Akhe, stunned by her outburst, her expression a mask of grievance:

“How could you… I remember everything so clearly…”

Xiang Er had already turned and continued walking, her pace quick, turning randomly at every corner.

She didn’t notice that every car, every pedestrian around her, was watching her, their gazes strangely intent, following her like a tide.

Akhe vanished, then reappeared beside Xiang Er, her voice pleading, almost fawning:

“Okay, okay, we’re on a date, I shouldn’t have said those things… let’s go shopping, shall we?”

She took Xiang Er’s arm, her touch persistent, despite being repeatedly shrugged off.

Just then, a voice crackled from a walkie-talkie:

“Report! Target approaching Area Ao39, Class S pollutant ready for deployment.”

“Report! Class S pollutant going rogue! Unable to control! Unable to control!”

In a nearby car, An Yue spoke into her walkie-talkie, her voice urgent:

“Deploy the Class S pollutant, immediately!”

A worried voice replied:

“Are you sure? That’s a Evil God…”

An Yue, her gaze fixed on Xiang Er, whispered:

“As long as she’s there, it’ll be fine. Remember? We have to trust in the power of love.”

Xiang Er didn’t know where she was going. She just wanted to escape, to run far away, to another planet, away from that monster.

But… the memories, the sensations, the burning desires, kept flooding back…

Liar! Liar! That despicable liar! It had said those things just to torment her, to manipulate her mind again! Aaaaaah, liar!

Xiang Er bit her lip so hard she tasted blood, and the next second, black slime invaded her mouth, coating her tongue, its stench and sweetness making her gag!

“Ugh!”

She spat out the slime, remembering the first time “Shen Yuhe” had kissed her… She felt disgusted, wanting to rip out her own tongue, to be rid of this tongue that had been touched by the Evil God!

A sudden gust of wind, and Xiang Er looked up, the delicate tip of a transparent wing brushing against her face.

Was that… a giant dragonfly? Or a moth?

The giant moth swooped down, its long, thin legs seizing Xiang Er’s waist, lifting her into the air, thrashing her back and forth!

The moth soared high above the city, its massive jaws, lined with rows of teeth, slowly opening towards Xiang Er’s small, vulnerable head.

The people on the ground held their breath, some, unable to contain themselves, unleashing their powers, afraid the Class S pollutant would hurt the girl.

But the next second, a thick, pillar-like tentacle, thicker than a tree trunk, shot out and stuffed itself into the moth’s mouth!

The tentacle writhed and thrashed, tearing the giant moth to shreds, like a hand from hell blotting out the sun, the moth’s green blood and dismembered body raining down like a gruesome waterfall!

And another, smaller tentacle, gently caught Xiang Er, lowering her to the ground.

Amidst the shower of grotesque debris, the tentacle carefully cleared a space on the ground, placing Xiang Er safely on the clean pavement.

Then, Akhe, in her black clothes, appeared beside her.

Akhe, her presence commanding, her head slightly lowered, shielding Xiang Er from the gruesome sight, the sunlight illuminating her high nose bridge.

Like a powerful protector, she smiled at Xiang Er and whispered:

“Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

Chapter 77: Selfishness

The small eyeball finished speaking, and the room fell deathly silent.

Even the deepest grave couldn’t be this quiet. All sounds of the mundane world vanished, even the dust motes ceased their dance.

As if… the entire world was holding its breath, waiting for Xiang Er’s response.

Xiang Er stared at the small eyeball for a long moment.

Her heart, cold and hard as stone, she didn’t say a word, just scoffed, rolled out of bed, and left the room.

She completely ignored the small eyeball, which, behind her, opened its slit-like mouth wide, its single eye wide with anguish, transparent tears dripping onto the floor.

Hearing the soft patter of tears, Xiang Er’s steps faltered slightly, but then… she quickened her pace.

The small eyeball, seeing her hesitate, perked up, then, its hopes dashed, drooped, its tears flowing as it listlessly wiped them away with one of its cleaning tools.

All it could do now… was clean, like a child of divorcing parents, trying to be good, hoping to be wanted.

Xiang Er, her bare feet padding softly against the floor, stepped out of the guest room and looked around.

Hearing a sound from the kitchen, she glanced towards it, then turned and walked towards the balcony.

She had slept, and now it was night again, the moon bright, the stars sparse, the wind rustling through the branches of the trees outside, a familiar scene that seemed like a lifetime ago.

And it was, in a way. She had died, and been reborn.

Xiang Er stood at the edge of the balcony, looking down. It wasn’t enclosed, and a thought flickered through her mind: Jump.

The next second, a thick tentacle, appearing from nowhere, wrapped tightly around her waist, and a beautiful female voice echoed in her mind:

“Don’t.”

Xiang Er’s body trembled, and she cursed mentally, her voice filled with rage:

“Get out!!!”

The voice immediately disappeared. Xiang Er struggled against the tentacle, but it was no use, the thick, suckered appendage wrapped around her waist, heavy and inescapable.

Akhe, in Shen Yuhe’s form, appeared on the balcony, wearing an apron, holding a spatula, her hair tied back, the image of a domestic goddess.

She stood behind Xiang Er, bathed in moonlight, her face delicate and beautiful, her expression gentle and concerned:

“Please don’t jump, okay?”

Xiang Er was momentarily disoriented. She looked… almost exactly like before.

Except for… the thick, dark red tentacle coiled around her waist, everything seemed normal.

Xiang Er gritted her teeth, grabbed a potted plant from the balcony, a withered, lifeless thing, and smashed the pot against the tentacle, again and again, dirt and broken pottery scattering.

The tentacle remained unfazed, unmarked, only slightly dusty. Xiang Er, enraged, continued to strike, then picked up a sharp shard of pottery and slashed at the tentacle, wanting to sever the disgusting thing!

But… Akhe, enjoying this violent display of affection, her face filled with a blissful satisfaction, said:

“If you like, there’s more…”

Several more potted plants appeared on the balcony, conjured by Akhe.

Akhe said:

“Continue…”

And on the tentacle, where Xiang Er had cut it, realistic-looking wounds appeared, oozing black blood.

Xiang Er, of course, knew it was all fake, and she felt a surge of disgust.

How could this creature be so shameless?

Xiang Er pressed the shard of pottery against her wrist:

“Get away from me.”

Akhe immediately retracted the tentacle, her head bowed humbly, the tentacle disappearing beneath her clothes.

Her voice soft, she said:

“Please don’t do this, I’ll do anything you say, just don’t hurt yourself.”

A sense of grim satisfaction filled Xiang Er. She looked down at Akhe, her gaze cold and aloof, and said:

“I want you to leave this planet, leave this universe, go back to where you came from.”

Akhe looked up, her voice filled with sorrow:

“Is that so… is that what you told Shen Yuhe as well?”

Xiang Er scoffed, the shard of pottery piercing her skin:

“Shen Yuhe never existed!”

But the next second, black slime covered her wrist. Akhe suddenly moved closer, pressing against Xiang Er, her delicate, white hands gently grasping Xiang Er’s wrist.

She lifted Xiang Er’s wrist to her lips and kissed it softly, her voice a whisper:

“I can’t do that.”

Xiang Er felt a wave of nausea, she tried to pull her hand away, but so close, she couldn’t escape Akhe’s sweet fragrance, couldn’t avoid the sorrowful smile on her beautiful face:

“If you truly hate me that much, then let’s just… live like this. I’ll stay with you, take care of you, love you deeply, until you die. And when you die, I’ll die with you, at least we’ll be together in the end, a happy ending of sorts.”

With a resounding slap, Xiang Er struck Akhe across the face!

“Get away from me! Who wants to die with you!”

The sharp crack echoed through the air, and Akhe’s face instantly reddened and swelled.

But Akhe’s eyes lit up, a mixture of pain and amusement in her gaze, as she reached out, gently cupping Xiang Er’s hand:

“You touched me? Does it hurt… why did you hit me so hard? Is your wrist sore? Let me heal it…”

Xiang Er, unable to bear it any longer, kicked Akhe hard in the stomach, pushing her away, and retreated to the living room.

As she walked, she grabbed anything within reach and threw it, ornaments, plants, cushions, chairs… everything!

“Little Ears? Little Ears, are you okay? Don’t move, I’ll throw them…”

That disgusting voice followed her, a persistent shadow, tentacles reaching out, and Xiang Er realized she couldn’t touch anything anymore, the tentacles intercepting her, mimicking her actions, throwing things behind her.

Akhe even let out occasional grunts of pain, as if she had been struck by the objects.

Xiang Er, having run out of things to throw, stood panting in the middle of the living room, the moonlight, like liquid mercury, casting a cold, distorted glow on everything, a world of madness and despair.

She stopped, the absurdity of it all hitting her, and she turned to look at Akhe.

Under the moonlight, Akhe was like a dark, expanding shadow, a mass of tentacles writhing around her vaguely human-shaped form, her dark gaze filled with concern.

Akhe’s voice, soft and gentle, said:

“Are you tired? I made dinner, why don’t you eat something? Living on nutritional supplements isn’t good for you.”

“Aaaaaaaaaaah—”

Xiang Er screamed.

She grabbed her hair and pulled, but it was no use, even her hair was under the Evil God’s control, she couldn’t hurt herself, nor could she hurt it!

This madness, this absurdity, it was worse than hell!

What could she do? Even her life wasn’t her own, defenseless, powerless, she would become… the very thing she loathed most… a plaything!

She screamed and cried, desperately trying to hurt herself, but she couldn’t!

She couldn’t even… hurt herself!

Xiang Er finally collapsed onto the floor, staring at the ceiling, her mind blank.

She couldn’t do anything… nothing mattered anymore.

Only one thing remained to be said:

“I will never love you, not until I die.”

She glared at Akhe, her teeth clenched, the words a venomous promise.

Her heart, her mind, were the only things she could still control, and these would be her final words.

For the next few decades, she would live like a walking corpse, a soulless puppet under the Evil God’s control, so be it.

The Evil God would never have her love, she would make It regret this, forever!

Akhe, hearing those words, her tears flowed again, bloody teardrops staining her apron.

She wiped her eyes, walked over, gently lifted Xiang Er with a tentacle, her voice broken and hoarse:

“I’ll go check on the food. I made chicken soup today, with red dates, it’s good for you…”

She shuffled away, her countless tentacles dragging across the floor, her large, ungainly form seemingly weak and defeated.

Xiang Er, lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling, laughed, a harsh, broken sound, saliva and tears mixing, dripping onto the floor.

She had hurt it, she knew, this time, it was real, she had truly hurt it. Hehehe… hahahahaha! It was good, she had a weapon too, It claimed to love her, and she would use that love as a weapon, to pierce through Its lies! Hahahahaha…

Xiang Er’s laughter turned into sobs, a deep, heart-wrenching sorrow.

The person she loved never existed.

She would rather Shen Yuhe had been real, and dead.

Than this… this non-existence, a fabrication of lies and deceit, hatred and betrayal.

She wished Shen Yuhe had been real, and dead.

Akhe had made chicken soup and three stir-fried dishes, clearly a novice cook, the food slightly burnt.

Xiang Er took the pot of chicken soup and dumped it over Akhe’s head, then smashed the plates of food on the floor, the soup and gravy splattering everywhere. She tried to cut her wrists with a shard of broken pottery, but she was stopped.

Her clothes stained with soup and gravy, Akhe removed the pot from her head, wrapped her in tentacles, lifted her, and carried her to the bathroom to clean her.

Xiang Er tried to bang her head against the faucet, but she was restrained. Akhe undressed her, placed her under the shower, and gently, carefully, washed her body.

Even cleaning her… private parts… with a tentacle. Only Xiang Er’s head was uncovered, and she cursed and raved until her voice was hoarse.

After cleaning her, Akhe dressed her in pajamas, carried her to bed, turned on her computer and phone, and, using a pleasant, synthesized female voice, read her the news.

“Nationwide sanitation campaign underway…”

“New discoveries in human genetics research…”

“Increased radiation sickness reported in Lǜ’è City, residents urged to remain calm…”

Xiang Er kicked and screamed, thrashing and sobbing, but eventually, exhaustion claimed her, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Akhe climbed into bed beside her, her arms wrapped around Xiang Er, her face buried in the crook of her neck.

Tears of blood continued to flow, but Akhe was used to it by now, it was the price she had to pay, the bitter fruit of her own actions.

She deserved this, but to give up on Xiang Er… she couldn’t.

Humans said love was selfless, but Akhe couldn’t be selfless, she was selfish, she just wanted to be with Xiang Er, forever, no matter the cost.

Once, she had yearned for Xiang Er’s love, but that was a distant dream now, all she wanted was to be with her, to stay with her, forever, regardless of love or hate, just being together was enough…

But… Akhe’s tentacles trembled, gently touching Xiang Er’s heart.

The small eyeball hopped onto the bed, nestled beside Xiang Er’s pillow, a thin tentacle reaching out to pat Akhe’s tentacle gently.

Like a child’s clumsy attempt at comfort.

The moonlight, like shattered glass, scattered across the floor, as Akhe and the small eyeball huddled beside Xiang Er, savoring the endless sorrow and heartbreak.

As dawn broke, someone approached the building.

In the stairwell, a tentacle and An Yue, in her uniform, sat facing each other under the moonlight.

The tentacle touched An Yue, its message echoing in her mind:

“I was completely honest, but… it still failed.”

It replayed the events of the day.

An Yue, having witnessed everything, was stunned. Was this the logic of a lovesick fool? This Evil God had truly made the worst possible move!

An Yue composed herself and asked:

“Do you want her to love you?”

Akhe:

“I yearn for it, but she hates me…”

An Yue:

“Then if she doesn’t love you, are you willing to leave her?”

Akhe:

“No, I’ve decided, I’ll stay with her, until she dies, and then I’ll merge her soul with mine, and we’ll die together.”

An Yue:

“If an Evil God is willing to commit suicide, that makes things easier…”

Akhe:

“I heard that.”

An Yue quickly changed the subject:

“Actually, Evil God Madam, I came here to tell you that I now have a second rule, and this rule is very scientific and effective, developed by the combined efforts of all the investigators in the country, do you want to hear it?”

Akhe’s voice was instantly filled with eagerness:

“What is it?”

And immediately started rummaging through An Yue’s memories. An Yue quickly stopped her:

“The second rule is! Charm! Always, no matter the time or place, exude a charm that captivates her heart…”

As dawn broke, the conversation between the black tentacle and An Yue finally ended, An Yue leaving, satisfied, the black tentacle retracting into the apartment.

An Yue’s dangerous mission, infiltrating the enemy camp, was once again a resounding success.

A new day had begun.

Xiang Er woke up in the quiet, empty room.

She didn’t get up, just lay in bed, turned on her phone, looked at it, then turned it off again.

The world seemed to be in chaos, but what did it matter to her? She was just a walking corpse now, she didn’t care about anything anymore.

She lay there, staring at the dappled sunlight on the ceiling, her mind blank.

After a while, Akhe’s voice, using Shen Yuhe’s familiar, melodious tone, called out:

“Little Ears, let’s go on a date today, shall we?”

Xiang Er closed her eyes and ignored her. But soon, warm, slimy tentacles lifted her from the bed, sat her up, opened her closet, and held various clothes against her body.

Xiang Er, like a lifeless doll, stared blankly, passively enduring it.

Akhe entered the room, her beautiful face serene, a gentle smile on her lips, as if nothing had happened, her tentacles caressing Xiang Er’s face as she whispered:

“Darling… I want to go on a date with you, how about you? Do you want to go on a date with your Little Fish?”

Xiang Er didn’t answer.

Akhe’s tentacle gently touched her lips, then, after a moment, sighed, and said:

“Let’s go.”

The tentacles dressed Xiang Er, then bent down and, using delicate white hands, put on her shoes.

Meanwhile, outside the residential complex, government agents, following a carefully planned strategy, were preparing for a large-scale operation.

The operation, classified as top secret, was overseen by a team of elite strategists, its codename: Evil God’s Rules of Romance.

Chapter 76: Mutual Destruction

The forceful words hung in the air, the room falling silent, only the soft sound of snow melting outside, under the pale sunlight.

Xiang Er, having spoken, felt a sense of grim satisfaction. She knew the words would enrage the Evil God, and that was her intention, she wanted it to kill her.

She would live with dignity, or die with dignity, she wouldn’t be a pathetic, deceived plaything!

Her hatred was unconcealed, a burning fire in her eyes. If looks could kill, the creature before her would have been dismembered, its bones crushed, its skin flayed, its body ground to dust!

And yet… under the weight of her hateful gaze…

The creature, its beautiful face contorted, slowly smiled, a look of surprised delight, and then… it burst into tears!

Tears, clear and crystalline, streamed down its face, like a child who had received the sweetest candy, its lips curved upwards, the tears mixing with a strange, complex expression.

Almost… human.

Xiang Er turned away in disgust, unable to bear the sight of that meticulously crafted, deceptive human facade, preferring the grotesque tentacles and eyeballs, the honest grotesqueness of its true form.

The creature, its voice sweet and loving, spoke:

“You’re looking at me… you’re finally looking at me! You’re talking to me, you’re talking to me, wuwuwu… you’re talking to me!”

It seemed not to care about the content of her words, only that she was looking at it, speaking to it.

Xiang Er regretted even acknowledging its presence.

The creature, Akhe, lifted its delicate, white hands and gently touched Xiang Er’s:

“If you want… you can kill me.”

Xiang Er ignored it, pulling her hand away.

Akhe produced a beautiful, ornate dagger, its blade sharp and gleaming, and offered it to Xiang Er with a gesture of humble devotion.

Xiang Er took the dagger and examined it. It was antique, inlaid with rubies and sapphires, its blade sharp and cold.

She held the dagger.

Akhe lay down on the bed, tilting her head back, exposing the vulnerable artery in her neck, her gaze fixed on Xiang Er’s hand, filled with anticipation.

Her voice, seductive and alluring, whispered:

“Kill me, kill me.”

Xiang Er held the dagger, her hand steady, her mind clear, she knew what she had to do.

She smiled, and with a swift motion, plunged the dagger downwards!

And yet… it wouldn’t penetrate.

The blade rested against her own neck, unable to even touch her skin, a layer of swirling, black slime protecting her.

The dagger, embedded in the slime, was stuck.

Akhe turned her head, her expression a mixture of disappointment and sadness:

“You won’t even kill me… why do you always want to kill yourself? It’s my fault, kill me, kill me… I’m in so much pain, so much pain…”

Her voice trailed off, fading into silence, tears of blood dripping from her eyes, staining the sheets.

She lifted her head, the two trails of blood a stark contrast against her skin, and pleaded, her voice broken:

“Please don’t hurt yourself anymore, okay? Seeing you hurt yourself, it hurts me, my… my true form hurts so much.”

But Xiang Er continued to struggle, trying to pierce the black slime with the dagger. Unable to penetrate, she pulled the dagger back, intending to cut her wrists.

She didn’t speak, didn’t think, just focused on ending her own life, by any means necessary.

The dagger was snatched from her hand. Xiang Er tried to grab it back, but she couldn’t, and she sat still, defeated.

“Little Ears.”

The familiar endearment, the familiar voice, made Xiang Er’s eyes flicker slightly.

She saw the dagger pressed against Shen Yuhe’s… Akhe’s neck, the moment she looked.

Shen Yuhe, tears of blood streaming down her face, a broken smile on her lips, plunged the dagger into her neck.

Dark blood sprayed outwards, covering the bed, splattering Xiang Er’s face and eyes, her vision tinged with red as she stared, unblinking.

Shen Yuhe’s head lolled back, her dark, bright eyes, even in their final moments, still fixed on Xiang Er.

Her gaze locked onto Xiang Er’s, her pupils dilating, their light fading, turning into two black stones.

The room was silent. The tentacles were gone, the black slime still and lifeless, the world so quiet she could hear a pin drop.

As if… she was truly dead.

That beautiful, hateful facade, lying dead in a pool of blood, her deceit and betrayal washed away, a strangely peaceful death under the bright sunlight.

Xiang Er stared at the bloody scene for a long time.

She smiled faintly, her lips curving upwards:

“You’re such a good actress, why aren’t you on stage?”

She sat up, her smile mocking, her eyes filled with contempt and hatred.

She reached out and touched the black slime on her neck, pulling at it.

As expected, the slime, part of the performance, had also solidified, lifeless, and although it was painful to remove, she was able to peel it off.

Xiang Er cleaned the slime from her neck, turned, and took the dagger from the dead woman’s hand.

Decapitating a body wasn’t easy, the small dagger already slightly dulled, but Xiang Er didn’t care.

The Evil God was dead, no trace of it remaining in the room, wasn’t that perfect?

She smiled cruelly, lifted the dagger, and plunged it into her own neck!

A sudden whoosh, and a thick tentacle, appearing out of nowhere, knocked the dagger from her hand!

Xiang Er glanced sideways. The thick tentacle, emerging from Shen Yuhe’s severed neck, was flailing wildly in the air.

She let out a cold laugh. As expected, she knew It wouldn’t die so easily.

As long as she was alive, It wouldn’t die, it was that simple.

She knew, that’s why she had tried to kill herself, she wasn’t trying to commit suicide, she was trying to kill the Evil God.

But… it hadn’t worked.

The cut on Xiang Er’s neck was shallow, and the thick tentacle, with a gentle touch, instantly healed the wound.

But Xiang Er dug her fingers into the wound, the pain a perverse pleasure!

She smiled, and while the tentacle was still flailing, she ripped the wound open again!

The tearing of flesh echoed through the room, through Xiang Er’s ears, and through Akhe’s true form!

Blood dripped down, Xiang Er gasping for breath, her fingers still digging into the wound!

Akhe let out a high-pitched wail, the tentacle thrashing wildly, as if it were its flesh being torn, not Xiang Er’s!

Dozens of tentacles shot out, restraining Xiang Er, gently wrapping around her finger, pulling it away from the wound, other tentacles rushing to heal her.

Xiang Er smiled, a triumphant smile, watching the tentacles’ frantic, desperate attempts, and she said:

“Aren’t you dead?”

The tentacles, busy tending to her wound, didn’t answer.

She continued:

“You’re such a coward, afraid even of death.”

The tentacles continued applying slime to her wound, another tentacle appearing, holding a syringe and a vial of medicine.

Xiang Er thrashed her arm and shouted:

“Don’t you dare inject me! You might as well just kill me!”

The tentacles hesitated, the syringe hovering uncertainly.

Shen Yuhe’s corpse, its head still lolling, suddenly spoke:

“Then promise me you won’t hurt yourself anymore, and I won’t inject you, okay?”

Xiang Er raised an eyebrow and shouted:

“No! If you have the guts, kill me! If you kill me, I won’t hurt myself anymore! Stop playing these games! Coward! Trash! Monster! Get out of here!!!”

She continued to rant and rave, her breath coming in ragged gasps, the metallic taste of blood in her mouth, spitting at the tentacles, at Shen Yuhe’s corpse, her hands clawing at the tentacles, throwing them against the walls, her legs kicking, her hair flying as she banged her head against the wall…

She was like a trapped bird, beating its wings against the cage, its feathers scattering, the world a dizzying blur, she would break free, or die trying!

Her frenzy made the tentacles hesitate, they couldn’t hold her too tightly, nor could they let go, the slightest release, and she would hurt herself again, but holding her too tightly might injure her fragile body… it was a difficult situation.

Finally, the tentacles restrained her limbs, one tentacle holding the syringe, finding a suitable injection site on her thrashing body, and quickly, expertly, injecting her.

Xiang Er’s struggles and shouts weakened, her movements less forceful. The tranquilizer, developed by the Special Investigations Bureau, was highly effective, and Xiang Er, who had been screaming and thrashing only moments ago, now lay limp and still.

But… even in her unconsciousness, she continued to mutter:

“You monster… coward… idiot… you should die… let me die…”

The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was Shen Yuhe’s face, contorted in pain and worry.

Heh… still clinging to that deceptive face… coward…

She laughed coldly, her consciousness fading into darkness.

Beside her, Akhe, its tears flowing, reattached its severed head, its sobs echoing through the room.

It didn’t know what to do, It still didn’t understand humans, It didn’t understand why Xiang Er had done this, why… did she hate it so much?

It had been honest, they had shared so many sweet memories, why… why wasn’t it enough?

Akhe’s sobs continued for a long time, until sunset, the floor covered in its tears, its blood, its slime.

It even felt like… it had grown a human heart. At least, it felt the pain of heartbreak.

---

Early that morning, after breakfast and a lengthy lecture on An Yue’s Rules of Romance, An Yue had been unceremoniously swept out the door by a tentacle.

Now, it was evening, and An Yue, leading a team of elite investigators, had arrived at the old residential compound.

Her colleagues evacuated the remaining residents, secured the perimeter, and erected a powerful containment barrier, absorbing the pollution that was still emanating from the building.

The citywide wave of madness that had gripped the nation for the past twenty-four hours finally began to subside, the containment of the pollution slowing the rate of new mutations.

But something was still wrong. Even without the pollution from the building, monsters and other anomalies were still appearing, as if… this wasn’t the only source, just the most urgent one.

Leaving her colleagues to maintain the barrier, An Yue, after much deliberation, requested permission to enter the building.

She had reported the situation inside, and her superiors were evaluating various strategies, and hearing her request, her superior looked at her intently:

“What do you think, how should we, as humans, deal with that Evil God?”

An Yue’s voice was firm and resolute:

“The only thing we can do is… help It, help her, have a proper relationship.”

---

Xiang Er slowly awoke from a deep, painful dream, her consciousness rising from the depths of the ocean, her mind gradually clearing, but she didn’t want to open her eyes.

But she could already hear sounds, small, faint sounds, an occasional rustling.

She opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was that the cracks in the ceiling had been repaired, the walls as well, everything back to normal.

Then, her gaze shifted, and she saw… countless thin tentacles, like spiderwebs, covering the room.

These tentacles were different from the monster’s thick tentacles, thinner, smoother, all black, without the disgusting suckers.

The small tentacles, wriggling and coiling, held brooms, rags, buckets, mops… they were cleaning.

The rustling sounds were the tools moving against the surfaces.

Xiang Er followed the tentacles to their source.

In the center of the tentacle web was a fist-sized, round eyeball, its countless tentacles extending in all directions, its eye unblinking as it diligently directed the cleaning, meticulous and thorough.

The room was spotless, and Xiang Er noticed that her bedsheets and duvet cover had been changed, a green floral pattern, her favorite.

A memory surfaced, she remembered threatening the small eyeball:

“If you don’t even know how to clean, I’ll throw you away!”

How ironic… Xiang Er chuckled coldly, back then, she had been such a fool, so clueless, yet so full of herself, thinking she had control…

The small eyeball, noticing that Xiang Er was awake, immediately opened its eye wide, a slit appearing beneath it.

Then, it carefully turned its “mouth” away, only its eye visible, as if knowing Xiang Er didn’t like it, not wanting her to see it.

A soft, childish voice, like a toddler’s, echoed through the quiet room, a tearful plea, strangely unsettling:

“I… I can… clean… please… don’t throw me away… okay?”

Chapter 75: Honesty

Large, fluffy snowflakes fell silently, gently, like white, ethereal spirits dancing in the wind outside. They were so light, so weightless, that the slightest breath of air could shatter them, sending them spiraling downwards.

The white blanket of snow covered the earth, the night almost over, the sun rising inexorably behind the veil of snow, its light unstoppable.

A new day had begun.

And in this crumbling building, on the top floor, in this precariously mended home…

No matter how frantically the evil god pleaded, how desperately it self-harmed, the frail yet resolute human remained unmoved.

It had been a night of agonizing regret for the god, a night of fury and madness, a night when all its powers had failed.

Shen Yuhe, holding one of her thin tentacles, stood humbly by Xiang Er’s chair, waiting, waiting…

There was no response. Xiang Er’s head rested against the back of the chair, her eyes closed.

She had fallen asleep, the carefully controlled thoughts in her mind now leaking out.

She was thinking: Akhe, disgusting. Deceit… disgusting.

Akhe’s tears of blood had dried on her face, forming a thick, crusty mask, a grotesque layer over the meticulously crafted human face.

No more tears could flow, the blood-red eyes completely sealed shut, seemingly blind.

But it still stood there, silently, like a withered tree trunk.

The morning light gradually filled the room, a fair and impartial light, shining equally on everyone, regardless of the world’s deceptions, its misunderstandings and betrayals.

After a while, Akhe stirred.

Akhe, using its human arms, gently lifted Xiang Er’s slender body, its tentacles, like countless legs, carrying her silently, smoothly, into the guest room, placing her gently on the bed, tucking her in.

Then It sat beside the bed, its gaze fixed on Xiang Er.

Xiang Er shifted slightly, settling into her usual sleeping position, and slept.

Having just died and been reborn, her body craved nourishment and rest, too exhausted even for dreams.

Akhe hesitated, then reached out and, from An Yue’s bag, took out a syringe and a large bottle of medicine.

An Yue, who had been dozing at the table, saw this and opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated, and finally said:

“…That’s a nutritional supplement, be careful, don’t inject too much at once.”

Akhe ignored her, carefully following the procedure it had observed, and began injecting Xiang Er.

An Yue yawned, thinking that she was probably stuck here for a while, she would just have to make the best of it. She looked at the food on the table… and cautiously reached for a piece of toast, waiting.

Good, no tentacles attacked her, it seemed she was allowed to eat.

While Akhe was occupied, An Yue quickly devoured the entire breakfast, both portions, then even took the dishes to the kitchen, not daring to wash them, afraid of making too much noise and disturbing Xiang Er.

She returned to the living room, unsure what to do, and sat at the table, watching the guest room door.

The tentacled Evil God was busy inside, injecting Xiang Er, then healing the injection site, tidying the room, rearranging things.

An Yue sighed, thinking: This Evil God, capable of destroying the world, yet clueless about how to appease its lover.

She muttered this thought to herself, and a tentacle immediately shot out from the guest room, slapping her on the shoulder.

“How do I appease my lover?”

The female voice echoed directly in An Yue’s mind.

Then, An Yue felt her memories being accessed, her entire life, good and bad, the Evil God rummaging through her mind like a dumpster diver.

An Yue quickly said:

“Wait! I’ll tell you, just don’t… do that! I’ve never been in a relationship, but I know a lot about relationships!”

The Evil God, its attention pulled away from a memory of An Yue being punished for wetting the bed at age nine, its tentacle hovering before her, like a small person, its suckers opening and closing, several eyes sprouting from its surface, staring at her, waiting for her to speak.

An Yue’s mind raced, and clearing her throat, she began:

“The first rule of appeasing a lover, and also the most important one: honesty! And by honesty, I don’t mean just…”

She talked and talked, from the first light of dawn to the sun high in the sky, the snow melting, human society rebuilding its order.

Perhaps… there was hope for a new beginning, the Evil God thought, taking notes as it listened.

---

When Xiang Er woke up, her throat was parched.

The next second, a glass of water was brought to her lips, and she instinctively opened her mouth, the warm liquid soothing her dry throat.

But she quickly came to her senses, closing her lips, turning her head away, and opening her eyes.

As expected… a tentacle, holding a glass of water, hovered before her, connected to Shen Yuhe’s arm.

Shen Yuhe was standing a short distance away, and seeing Xiang Er awake, she stepped back, the tentacle retracting, placing the glass on the table.

Xiang Er looked at the scene, her mind blank, having learned, since dying, to suppress her thoughts, thoughts were useless, they would only be heard by this grotesque monster.

“You’re awake? Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Do you need anything?”

Shen Yuhe’s voice, gentle and concerned, echoed.

The voice that had once filled Xiang Er’s heart with warmth now only evoked disgust and resentment.

But the emotions faded, dissolving into the sunlight streaming through the window.

Xiang Er, following her instincts, sat up and got out of bed. She hadn’t eaten, but she wasn’t hungry, and her body felt strangely strong, her movements steady, not giving the tentacles a chance to help her.

She glanced out the window. The sun was shining, a beautiful day, but it had nothing to do with her anymore.

She was just a ghost, a ghost forcibly brought back, unwilling to exist, and the fact that she had woken up today was already a disappointment, having to continue living in this body, a constant torment.

She entered the bathroom, not bothering to close the door, it was broken, beyond repair.

“Just bear with it for now, I’ll fix this room today, or we can move somewhere else, where do you want to go?”

Shen Yuhe’s voice followed her, but she didn’t enter the bathroom, no tentacles appeared at the door, not even a trace of black slime. Xiang Er used the toilet, then came out.

“We can move to a villa, or perhaps a penthouse apartment? A five-star hotel? By the sea? In the mountains? Anywhere you want.”

Shen Yuhe continued.

Xiang Er lay back on the bed, staring at the cracked ceiling, her mind blank.

She felt someone sit down beside the bed, but she didn’t look.

Shen Yuhe pulled up a chair and sat beside her, her voice soft and coaxing, like a mother to a child:

“If you want to stay here, that’s fine too, I know this is our home, I’ll fix it. And… I want to apologize, I’m sorry, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have lied to you. I’m truly sorry.”

She stood up and, imitating a human apology, bowed deeply, her hand placed over her heart, her posture contrite.

An Yue’s Rule Number One: Honesty. First point: Admit your mistakes, apologize sincerely.

She didn’t care if Xiang Er was looking at her, just continued speaking:

“I shouldn’t have created the persona of Shen Yuhe, I shouldn’t have lied to you about being an investigator, I was wrong, I’m sorry. I’m an unforgivable fool, I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I still have to say, I’m sorry.”

She bowed again, her posture humble, her gaze not meeting Xiang Er’s, fixed on the cracked floor.

Xiang Er remained unresponsive, lying still, her eyes slowly closing, as if asleep.

But Shen Yuhe knew she wasn’t asleep.

Shen Yuhe continued:

“I shouldn’t have kept so many things from you, so now, I’ll tell you everything, whether you want to hear it or not. And if I’m disturbing you, I apologize in advance.”

An Yue’s Rule Number One, second point: There should be no secrets between lovers, respect each other’s right to know, one party shouldn’t reveal everything while the other hides things.

Shen Yuhe knew she shouldn’t keep secrets, she had to tell her everything.

“In the beginning, I was just a sleeping Evil God. Of course, that title, Evil God, is something you humans gave me, I prefer to call myself… the Primordial Spirit of the Universe.

Beings like us, we existed since the beginning of the universe, we grew amidst the stars, our companions celestial bodies, feeding on radiation, killing each other, always alone. About a thousand years ago, I came to this planet and fell into a deep slumber, occasionally awakened by your human rituals, sometimes I would kill, sometimes I would grant your wishes, just for amusement. Until one day, I sensed a scent of blood that intrigued me, a scent that led me to a small wooden carving, and I saw you.”

Shen Yuhe took a deep breath, her voice filled with emotion:

“I don’t understand why, but the moment I saw you, something within me awakened, I didn’t know what was happening, it was as if… my entire existence had shifted, my form overflowing, my many eyes blinded to everything but you, my tentacles, as if with a mind of their own, reaching towards you… I was confused, I had to get closer to you, to observe you, I wanted to know what you had done to me, what had made me lose control.

Later, I learned that you humans call it love at first sight. I… I fell in love with you at first sight.”

Xiang Er lay still, her breathing hitching slightly, the steady rhythm disrupted.

Only for half a second, then her breathing returned to normal, only her eyelashes fluttering slightly.

Shen Yuhe’s words, like a rising tide, continued to flow, her gaze fixed on Xiang Er, as if looking back at their shared time, her expression distant:

“Just being near you, I felt something I hadn’t felt in millennia, my tentacles would turn red, my fluids would increase, a strange scent would emanate from me… did you know? My tentacles are always black, they never turn red, isn’t that strange? I thought something was wrong with me, I examined myself repeatedly, and finally, I realized, it was you, just being near you, I would change, I would become strange, not myself.

I understand now, in your human language, it’s called desire. A desire only felt for the one you love.”

As she spoke, tentacles, uncontrollably, sprouted from her body, blood-red tentacles, their suckers a vivid, dazzling red.

The tentacles writhed in the air, and her voice grew more fervent:

“At first, I tried to approach you in my true form, but you were terrified, and I didn’t know what to do, I thought you hated my true form, but I had to be near you… so I looked into your memories, your thoughts, and I crafted a human form, based on your preferences.

I thought that by becoming human, I could be with you, after all, you would surely like my human form, wouldn’t you? And it worked, you liked my human form very much.

But I couldn’t always resist using my true form, and every time I did, it only made you hate it more… then you wished for me to leave, and you know, I would grant any wish of yours, so I made my true form leave, and I stayed with you as a human, I thought… I thought I would be content with just being your Shen Yuhe.”

Shen Yuhe suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed on Xiang Er, a despairing smile curving her lips.

Her voice filled with self-mockery and despair, she said:

“But I didn’t understand love. I didn’t understand, love is such a terrifying thing, I couldn’t bear that you only loved Shen Yuhe, but not… the real me.”

Her tentacles gently caressed Xiang Er’s hair, a tender, loving touch.

A tentacle picked up a strand of Xiang Er’s hair, twining it around itself, a gesture of comfort, of self-soothing.

Xiang Er didn’t open her eyes.

She opened her mouth, her voice hoarse:

“But you know, I never loved you.”

Her voice rising, she suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze filled with a burning hatred, like a black lightning bolt, shattering the illusion of Shen Yuhe’s beautiful face:

“I only hate that I can’t kill you!”

Chapter 74: Snowfall

Through a shining white gate, Xiang Er’s soul floated, weightless and free, in a place beyond boundaries, shedding its earthly form, merging with the infinite white mist.

Memories, emotions, all were burdens to the soul, and she, now free of desires, of joy and sorrow, unburdened by memories and attachments, her very existence no longer necessary.

She wanted to sleep, to sleep eternally.

Like the morning dew on a flower petal, trembling, then vanishing into the air… but a lingering sense of unease remained.

She was still… unwilling.

Although she couldn’t remember the source of her unwillingness.

Suddenly, a force, a pull, drew her soul back, then another.

Countless forces tugged at her, pulling her back, back… she was pulled through the white gate, a sudden weight returning.

Memories, emotions, sensations, thoughts, flooded her, weighing down her once-light soul, overwhelming her, her soul sinking into a mire, struggling…

After an unknown amount of time, the chaos subsided.

Her soul returned to her body, she felt her limbs, her torso, her head, her fingers and toes twitching involuntarily.

But she didn’t want to come back, her eyelashes fluttering, light filtering through her eyelids, but she didn’t want to return.

Her soul was filled with despair, terror, the nightmarish betrayal and deceit… why had she come back?

The dim light beneath her eyelids was uncomfortable. Her body instinctively wanted to open her eyes, but her soul, her mind, resisted.

But… she was awake, her senses returning, she could hear a strange gurgling sound nearby, and the soft rhythm of human breathing.

Her body felt heavy, but not painful, she was even strangely energized.

She cautiously opened her eyes and saw… Shen Yuhe.

Her eyes immediately closed again, this time, determined not to open them.

After a long moment, a hesitant voice whispered:

“Xiang Er? Little… Little Ears?”

Xiang Er didn’t answer, her eyelashes still.

Shen Yuhe’s voice came again:

“You’re awake, aren’t you? Can you hear me?”

Xiang Er remained unresponsive.

A faint, human chuckle echoed from somewhere nearby, and Xiang Er’s eyelashes fluttered: Was there someone else here?

Why? Had Shen Yuhe captured someone to threaten her? No… it was Akhe.

Shen Yuhe’s voice, soft and plaintive, said:

“If you don’t wake up, I’ll kill An Yue.”

Xiang Er:

“…”

An Yue, watching the scene unfold from a distance, a hidden smile on her face:

“Haha… what?”

Why was she dragged into this?!

Beside the sofa, Shen Yuhe’s… Akhe’s voice grew increasingly desperate:

“Wake up, Little Ears… open your eyes and look at me…”

She even started sobbing, soft, human-like sobs.

Something warm and wet dripped onto Xiang Er’s face.

Xiang Er finally opened her eyes, the blurry image of jade-like skin so familiar, Shen Yuhe’s face.

After a moment, her vision cleared, and she could see Shen Yuhe clearly.

Shen Yuhe looked… as beautiful as ever, but her eyes were now blood red, like pools of pure blood, and from those eyes, bright red tears flowed.

The bloody tears landed on Xiang Er’s face, a strange scent, a mixture of blood and a sweet fragrance, like some exotic, otherworldly perfume.

Her blood-red eyes were fixed on Xiang Er’s face, and the moment Xiang Er opened her eyes, a sweet smile appeared on her lips, a delirious, almost dreamlike happiness.

She leaned closer and gently kissed Xiang Er’s cheek, her tongue extending, licking away the bloody tears.

Throughout this, she carefully avoided Xiang Er’s lips, not even coming close, as if she had developed an aversion to them.

Xiang Er didn’t resist. She opened her eyes with effort, looking around, finally noticing An Yue huddled in a corner.

She opened her mouth, her throat too dry to speak, and after a long moment, she finally whispered:

“Let… her go.”

Shen Yuhe seemed reluctant, her hands cupping Xiang Er’s face, kissing her skin, words occasionally escaping her lips:

“No… she brought back… your soul… I… I can still use her to threaten you… if you ignore me… I’ll kill her…”

An Yue, huddled in the corner like a quail:

“???”

This Evil God was way too straightforward!

Xiang Er was weak, gasping for air after speaking those few words, and at Shen Yuhe’s reply, her breathing grew even more labored, a rattling sound in her chest.

She couldn’t speak, she didn’t want to look at Shen Yuhe, her gaze fixed on the ceiling.

Shen Yuhe suddenly leaned closer to her stomach.

Xiang Er was only covered by a thin blanket, barely enough to keep her warm, and Shen Yuhe lifted it, pressing her ear against Xiang Er’s stomach, a happy, blissful smile on her face.

An Yue, watching this scene, felt a growing unease. It looked like… a husband listening to his wife’s pregnant belly…

Fortunately, Shen Yuhe spoke, her voice filled with delight:

“You’re hungry!”

Xiang Er didn’t answer, her eyes closed, letting Shen Yuhe do as she pleased.

Shen Yuhe, however, was overjoyed. She carefully replaced the blanket, then flew into the kitchen, unhesitatingly unleashing a multitude of tentacles, the sounds of clattering pots and pans echoing from within.

Xiang Er remained motionless on the sofa, her breathing shallow.

She looked less like someone who was hungry, and more like… a corpse.

An Yue, seeing the room momentarily empty, started to speak:

“Hey…”

A tentacle suddenly shot out from the kitchen, accurately and forcefully stuffing itself into her mouth.

An Yue, her mouth full of slimy, foul-smelling tentacles and suckers:

“…”

Silence fell upon the room.

The black slime on the floor churned and pulsed, tentacles cautiously yet boldly reaching towards Xiang Er, yet not daring to touch her.

The only two living humans in the room were motionless, silent, not a single movement, not a single sound.

The contrast was stark, unsettling. The humans, who should have been alive, seemed almost dead, while the grotesque tentacles, which should have been inanimate, were strangely vibrant.

The sounds from the kitchen intensified, the clatter of cooking utensils, the tentacles apparently wielding pots and pans with surprising dexterity.

After about twenty minutes, Shen Yuhe emerged.

Behind her, like a shower of flower petals, numerous tentacles, each holding a plate, carefully carried the dishes out of the kitchen and placed them on the table.

This strangely elegant, yet grotesque, scene was lost on Xiang Er, her eyes still closed.

Shen Yuhe, having set the table, glanced at Xiang Er, and seeing her eyes closed, her own expression remained neutral as she extended her tentacles, gently wrapping them around Xiang Er’s shoulders, waist, and legs, lifting her, blanket and all, and carrying her to the table, carefully placing her in a chair.

Xiang Er, her eyes still closed, her hair and hands limp and dangling, remained passive throughout.

Even after being placed in the chair, she didn’t open her eyes.

Shen Yuhe’s cold hand gently touched the newly healed wound on Xiang Er’s neck, her voice a mixture of sadness and relief:

“I’m so glad you’re back… I’m glad you’re still here. Eat something, I made your favorites.”

Xiang Er didn’t open her eyes.

But a thin tentacle, gently yet firmly, pried her eyelids open, the dryness and the sudden light making her eyes sting. She was forced to look at the table.

A plate of American scrambled eggs, a cup of coffee, slices of ham and toast, and a neatly arranged plate of strawberries.

It looked familiar.

Shen Yuhe’s hands rested on her shoulders, pulling the blanket higher, then she leaned closer to Xiang Er’s ear, her voice soft:

“Do you remember? You liked my scrambled eggs.”

Xiang Er didn’t speak, didn’t move.

Shen Yuhe’s voice gradually distorted, a frantic edge creeping in:

“Eat something! Try it! Aren’t you hungry? I heard you were hungry… be good, try my cooking, aaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!”

Facing the unresponsive Xiang Er, she suddenly screamed, red, fleshy buds sprouting on her face, almost touching Xiang Er’s skin!

But Xiang Er seemed unaffected by the noise, by the grotesque sight, her gaze fixed on the table, or perhaps at nothing at all.

She was completely still, not even moving a finger.

But it was as if she held Akhe’s only heart in her hand, crushing it mercilessly.

Akhe’s screams, the distortions, the fleshy buds, it was all useless. After a few seconds, Akhe’s form returned to normal, the buds retracting, the screams ceasing, her voice once again soft and gentle, as she said:

“You don’t like this? Then I’ll make something else, okay?”

Xiang Er didn’t react.

The next second, tentacles shot out, grabbing An Yue and throwing her onto the chair beside Xiang Er!

Xiang Er finally moved, her head turning slightly towards An Yue.

Before An Yue could react, her hand was pinned to the table by a tentacle.

Shen Yuhe chuckled:

“How about… you eat her hand?”

The next second, the tentacle transformed into a blood-red blade, slicing downwards!

An Yue’s body went cold, but she shouted to Xiang Er:

“Don’t waver!”

Before she could finish, a “thud,” and blood splattered across the table! An Yue cried out involuntarily, then gritted her teeth, looking at her bleeding hand, and shouted again:

“Don’t give in!”

Shen Yuhe, enraged, raised the blade again!

But it froze in mid-air.

Xiang Er had placed her hand beneath the blade.

Her pale, slender hand, its bones almost protruding through the skin, its blue veins prominent, resting in An Yue’s blood.

Then, with a swift movement, she grabbed the tentacle blade, slicing her own palm against its sharp edge.

Shen Yuhe immediately softened the tentacle, but it was… too late.

A thin trickle of blood flowed from Xiang Er’s pale hand.

Xiang Er’s deep amber eyes, for the first time, looked directly at Shen Yuhe.

At the person who didn’t exist.

Her gaze was icy, as if all the world’s snow and ice had gathered in her pupils, the whites of her eyes startlingly bright, her pupils dark and deep as an abyss.

There was no emotion in her eyes, none of the warmth and affection Shen Yuhe had grown accustomed to.

Only ice, endless, overwhelming ice, suppressing everything.

It killed with tentacles, but she killed with her gaze.

Shen Yuhe cried out, like a wounded animal, and fled, escaping Xiang Er’s sight!

It severed the tentacle that held the blade, leaving it writhing uselessly on the table.

Useless! It was all useless!

But then, Xiang Er spoke, her voice colder than ice:

“Heal her.”

Akhe wailed, its form twisting, its tentacles writhing, It couldn’t believe it!

She wouldn’t even speak to It directly, only uttering words that had nothing to do with them! Only willing to help an outsider, a stranger…

Akhe, a puddle of black slime, collapsed, the room shaking, a high-pitched, ear-piercing scream echoing from somewhere within It.

It begged, it pleaded, It just wanted to hear her voice, even if it was an insult, a curse, as long as she spoke, as long as she responded…

But Xiang Er remained silent, her mind blank, even Its ability to read her thoughts useless. She didn’t even look at An Yue, pale and bleeding, just sat there, motionless, like an immovable mountain.

Like the shackles that had bound Akhe since the dawn of time, like an inescapable curse.

Outside, the moon was hidden behind clouds, the world a cold, chaotic landscape, and it began to snow.

The long-awaited snow came too late, no longer a welcome gift for the new year. In this strange, distorted world, its power was too small, unable to soothe the madness.

And in this small, crumbling room, a supreme deity, trapped and helpless, was enslaved by emotion.

After a while, black slime crept onto the table.

Some of the slime flowed towards the cut on Xiang Er’s palm, and Xiang Er didn’t resist, letting it heal the wound.

More slime flowed towards An Yue, reattaching her severed hand, and within minutes, she was completely healed.

The black slime flowed over her body, healing all her old wounds, the new injuries from today’s battle, every scar and bruise disappearing.

An Yue raised an eyebrow, feeling the renewed vigor in her body, thinking that, as far as being a plaything went, this wasn’t so bad.

The black slime rose and coalesced into a human form, Shen Yuhe, in a white dress, beautiful and gentle, her head bowed humbly as she stood beside Xiang Er.

Her voice calm and soft, she said:

“I… lost control earlier. What do you want to eat? I’ll get it for you. Or I can make you something. Anything at all. Do you want to eat my tentacles? Grilled, stir-fried, barbecued, anything you like.”

As she spoke, she pulled out a few long, thin, red tentacles from behind her back:

“These are quite tender, perfect for eating. I’ll remove the pollution, of course. You must hate me very much, right? Then eat me, please.”

Tears of blood streamed down her face, dripping onto the chair, the carpet, onto Xiang Er’s body, as she looked at the unresponsive Xiang Er.

Her voice broke as she sobbed:

“Eat me… please…”